Tag Archives: aikido

First prize, new Dan Grades

Please don’t miss the August update on the Ki Federation website: “… We had plenty of laughs on our fancy dress evening again. The prize for the funniest costume went to Dimitri and family, over from Canada. They paraded by, banging a gong and calling “Bring out your dead”. The body in the cart keptContinue reading “First prize, new Dan Grades”

Ki Aikido and Anxiety

A lot of us experience anxiety and even panic attacks in spite of “doing the right thing” and “taking care of ourselves”. Many turn to martial arts for solution. After all, teachers and instructors are looking so capable and self-assured on promotional videos. Students hope that learning how to defeat opponents and protect themselves willContinue reading “Ki Aikido and Anxiety”

Coping skills through Ki Aikido

Here one of the most profound thinkers of Western Civilization contrasts ‘improvisation’ wrestling with a choreographed dance. In Ki Aikido the purpose of practice is to train the mind to cope with unexpected events in our life. Multiple partners’ attack represents problems in the daily life that come to us from all sides and areContinue reading “Coping skills through Ki Aikido”

The hardest part of Aikido practice

I chanced upon a copy of a 1969 book to which Sensei Williams has contributed a chapter on Aikido. I thought that this quote could be encouraging for those making up their mind to come to a class. It is not so much the practice that is the difficult part but the getting down toContinue reading “The hardest part of Aikido practice”

Duende

Duende … is the spirit which inspires those extraordinary, perhaps fleeting, moments in Flamenco (as in other arts like the corrida, or bull-fighting) when the performer achieves a total communion with his audience. Only the truest artistry and afición, free of any taint of egoism or showmanship, can create the possibility of this occurring. ItContinue reading “Duende”

2nd Dan at 94

From the Ki Federation web-site: … We don’t normally take photographs of gradings. However, Rose, at age 94, gave us permission to take and publish these images from her 2nd Dan Grading. http://kifederationofgreatbritain.co.uk/all-articles/october-2019-aikido-update/ As a bit of background: It typically takes around 6 years of practice to achieve 2nd Dan, that should give an ideaContinue reading “2nd Dan at 94”