I found a dojo and when I checked your site it was not there. Does that mean that it is not a registered dojo? I am looking for someone that will teach me the right way. Not to sound untrusting. Please get back to me if you can.

Thank you
Chris
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The Aikido Online dojo listings include only dojos and organizations that follow our Shihan. These Shihan are the group of O-Sensei’s last uchideshi who for over forty years have continued to work together with Aikido World Headquarters (Hombu Dojo) and each other. This is explained in detail in the "About the Site" section in a piece entitled "Our Mission Statement".

In the western hemisphere, this means dojos affiliated with the United States Aikido Federation, the Canadian Aikido Federation, or the Latin American Aikido Federation. We plan to add other affiliated international federations in the future. If the dojo you found is not included in our listings, it is not affiliated with these groups. Because our Shihan supervises these groups, we can say that affiliated dojos are teaching classical, traditional Aikido as taught by O-Sensei.

Sincerely,
Michelle
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We don’t see any reason that a deaf person could not participate in normal Aikido classes. One learns Aikido by watching and then doing, and the verbal instruction is less important. Therefore, a hearing disability should not be too serious an obstacle to practicing. You should, however, discuss the issue with the dojo you plan to practice at. We suggest you check our dojo listings and contact the nearest Federation dojo to discuss your concerns, and to make sure that your practicing will work at that particular dojo.

To Aikido Online:

I have some concerns about the purpose of the discussion groups and their ability to achieve their goals. I assume they are an attempt to cultivate and impart an intellectual understanding of the principles of Aikido to supplement physical training. That being said, the control shown by the discussion moderators amounts to the capacity for censorship. In America, censorship is seen as a serious breach of basic human freedom. In Aikido, as far as my understanding of the principle is concerned, censorship is fine if it is done constructively for all parties. In other words, if publishing an article is bad for the writer as well as readers as defined by the principle of the art, then it should not be published.

This brings to light a critical question: who are the discussion monitors and do they really understand the underlying principle of the art? I recognize that there may be a shortage of individuals who understand the principle from the point of "realization" as opposed to an intellectual understanding. In such a case, at least an intellectual understanding is essential if one hopes to lead practitioners in the discussion to a better understanding of the art.

I wonder what educational background the discussion moderators have undertaken to qualify them for this task. For example, can they quote a source written by someone who does understand the principle which describes that particular topic. From what I can see, the articles which began the topics are not consistent with the principle. Without a firm understanding of how to get out of a maze themselves, it is unlikely that someone can guide others on how to get out of the maze. In fact, the likely result will be that the moderator only guides themselves and others to become further lost in the maze. This is neither beneficial for the moderator or the readers….

While the task mentioned above for the moderator may seem difficult, it is, in fact, the actual task of the moderator. To attempt anything else, they will only lead themselves and other practitioners further into the maze. My recommendation is that the moderators come to understand the nature of their task. They may then either choose to perform it to the best of their ability by seeking continuous education on the subject with a method of their own choosing, or abandon the task altogether. I personally do not believe that providing guidance to practitioners along the lines of developing a better intellectual understanding of the art should be attempted in a half-fast manner, as that would be very bad for the moderators themselves as well as the readers. Alternatively, if the point is not to promote a better intellectual understanding of the art, there is no apparent reason to moderate the discussion. At least if it is moderated, a clear statement that the content of the discussion is not necessarily related to the principle of Aikido or martial arts in general is needed. I personally believe these changes will be beneficial for the moderators as well as the readers. That is my motivation for recommending them. Thank you.

Steve Kanney, Yondan
New York Aikikai
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Dear Steve,

Thank you for your letter and interest in Aikido Online. We're not sure we completely understand your comments; however we'll address them as best we can.

It is an incorrect assumption that the purpose of the Discussion Group (DG) is to "cultivate and impart an intellectual understanding of the principles of Aikido to supplement physical training". That would be closer to our purpose in publishing articles by and interviews with the Shihan who are much more qualified to impart knowledge of such subjects.

The purpose of the DG is simply to discuss various issues related to Aikido as a means of sharing ideas and increasing communication between members of our organizations. The titles of the DG topics themselves -- Testing Readiness, Loyalty, How I started, Anecdotes, Etiquette, Aikido and Children -- indicate a purpose to explore common dojo issues rather than technical Aikido principles. We are not trying to resolve any particular issue per se, but rather share the experiences of Aikido practitioners.

We do moderate the DGs, but not with the intent to exercise censorship. We just don't want our DGs to degenerate into a platform for a few people to dominate, pontificate and bicker, which you find too often in some other Aikido chat rooms. The guidelines are listed on the DG pages, so this should surprise no one. We try to publish most submissions without change. We are trying to maintain the discussion as though it were taking place in person in a dojo, where Aikido's etiquette would be observed.

Mostly we have limited ourselves to correcting the grammar of submissions (such as correcting the usage of O’Sensei to O-Sensei) or sometimes toning down the more inflammatory e-mails we receive to avoid emotional arguments. (We also require people to document quotes attributed to O-Sensei, which has been a rather interesting exercise, since there appear to be many such quotes that, in fact, O-Sensei never said.)

Your letter helped point out that we have been neglectful in not specifying who our moderators are. We have done this mostly out of a desire to avoid the appearance of promoting the moderators personally and instead to keep the focus of Aikido Online on the knowledge of the Shihan, and the experiences of the members of their respective organizations. We will be addressing this in the near future however, and will, at a minimum add a masthead to the site listing all the Aikido Online staff and contributors. However, in answer to your question, the moderators are as follows:

• Peter Bernath, 6th dan, Shidoin, Chief Instructor of Florida Aikikai. Mr. Bernath started Aikido in 1971 and is a long time student of Yamada Sensei. He teaches seminars throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe on a regular basis. His dojo hosts the Florida Winter Seminar, one of the largest Aikido seminars in the United States.

• David Halprin, 6th dan, Shidoin, Chief Instructor of Framingham Aikikai and Instructor at New England Aikikai. He is a direct student of Kanai Sensei with whom he has practiced for over 25 years. Mr. Halprin started his Aikido in 1975 and has traveled extensively both teaching and attending seminars throughout the world.

• Robert Zimmermann, 6th dan, Shidoin, Chief Instructor of Toronto Aikikai. Mr. Zimmermann started his Aikido career in 1967 and has studied closely with both Yamada and Kanai Sensei for the past 30 years. He also was secretary of the Canadian Aikido Federation for over ten years.

In addition to having close relationships with Yamada Sensei and Kanai Sensei, and serving on Shidoin Committees of the United States Aikido Federation, all of us have visited Hombu Dojo on several occasions and studied under both Aikido Doshu and senior Hombu Shihan. None of us feel expert in any part of Aikido; however the experience of thirty plus years of practice and learning from the Shihan has, we hope, given us some small amount of wisdom in terms of guiding the discussions.

We hope this has answered your questions. We are continually trying to improve Aikido Online and welcome constructive input from our readers. If in the future you have any other suggestions or questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Michael
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Choosing a martial art is a very personal decision. You have to honestly assess which one you feel most inner affinity to. It’s very common for people to try several martial arts before making a final decision about which one to seriously pursue. Your own inner feelings can also change over time. It’s a complex issue.

It seems that for many people commitment is difficult. In any case, you have to find a way to have a personal experience of the martial art; just reading about it is not enough. But even after you make that determination, it is very difficult to muster the discipline to continue to practice long enough to make real progress in absorbing its training. Not many people are able to do this. In general, one must study one martial art for enough time to really understand it before starting another art. Otherwise, things can easily get mixed up and confused.

It sounds like it is not possible for you to practice Aikido at the moment. But perhaps you should visit the nearest Aikido dojo and see what it is like. That may help clarify your decision. Good luck!

John
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Our teachers have told us that in all tests up through shodan, the most important thing is simply to execute the techniques correctly.

Therefore, our advice would be as follows:

1. Make sure you are completely clear how each technique is supposed to be done. For all the test techniques you must be completely clear on what form or movement is correct.
2. Once you clearly understand how the techniques should be done, you should practice diligently so that you can execute the correct movements naturally and precisely, without having to think about the sequence of movements per se. During the test, therefore, you will be able to focus more on the overall execution of the technique, including such things as distance (ma-ai), fluidity, and adjusting to the uke. At the time of the test, execution of all required techniques should be well within your comfort level.
3. Consult your sempai (senior students) and ask them to review your test with you, correct errors and make suggestions.
4. For a more complete discussion of these issues, we suggest you take a look at David Farrell’s article “Testing Readiness” and the discussion group on that subject.

The way of Aikido practice starts with a basic situation, i.e. a single punch. Basically, the approach is to maintain a correct distance and wait for a committed attack, in this scenario a committed strike. When the committed strike comes, one enters. If one enters cleanly against the first strike, one will be able to execute a correct technique. If you execute an Aikido technique correctly against a single punch, the second punch will not come. If the strike is pulled back you continue to enter in. While the strike is being pulled back, one can also deliver atemi. Don’t forget that not all Aikido techniques require catching the arm.

There is a second, perhaps less basic, scenario in which, rather than waiting for the attack, the nage initiates the encounter and forces a response from the uke. This response then becomes the “attack” and is the focus of the Aikido technique.

Aikido has a strategy of dealing with attacks of any kind. Attacks can take many forms, can be of many types, and can come from different directions possibly with various weapons. Each type and direction of attack has its own implied response. The key is to make a decisive movement with correct timing in response to the attack, and then execute a correct Aikido technique. Beginners must master this basic approach. If you watch proficient black belts and advanced teachers practice free style, you will see responses to more complex attacks.

Remember that even basic Aikido techniques have a relative high degree of difficulty. As you master the basic techniques, the techniques for dealing with multiple strikes will become more understandable.

When one has only practiced eight weeks, almost everything will feel unnatural, so that in itself is not surprising. It’s most important to keep practicing and your understanding will evolve with increasing experience.

The place to start is always to follow what your instructor teaches you. It is always acceptable to talk to the instructor about such issues after class. Just be polite in asking your question.

While the shape of mens and womens bodies are different as you point out, we believe that the location of the center of gravity is essentially the same. It is similar to the different bodies of a tall or short person of the same gender. The principal of staying balanced and maintaining a low center of gravity is also the same. We have not heard any of the women instructors express a different opinion.

You are addressing the issue of the distance between the feet in the side-to-side direction (as opposed to the forward and back direction). The issue may have to do with the difference between hanmi and toitstai. Hanmi is the basic posture one uses when receiving the attack, and in which the feet are closer to the center line of the body. It allows for fluid movement and presents a small target to the attacker. When throwing, one can stand in toitstai where the feet can be about shoulder width apart, which allows one to have greater stability when projecting power.

Finally, it is always a good idea to go to seminars with Shihan and senior Shidoin whenever possible, to see for yourself how they carry themselves and execute the techniques.

Robert
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Your situation is actually not that unique. Many people of your age and older are practicing Aikido.

The first thing to say is that you must have a long talk with your physician about your desire to practice Aikido. If your physician isn’t familiar with Aikido, perhaps you should bring a video. Then, you should have a talk with the instructor at the dojo where you would practice.

If everyone is agreeable, start practicing and see how it feels. Go easy at first and give your body plenty of time to adjust. You may be surprised at how much you can do over time. It may exceed your expectations. If you don’t feel comfortable, that too will become apparent.

In our opinion, there is nothing in what you describe that would make it impossible for you to practice. We have known many people have practiced despite very significant physical issues. There are more ways than one might image to work around and through physical problems. However, we’re not doctors, and you have to realize that you and others with personal and complete knowledge of your situation are best suited to make the final decision.

Thanks
Jocky
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Thanks for your message. We don't have information on dojos in Asia as yet, so we are not able to make a recommendation. We hope to have such information available on Aikido Online in the future. Perhaps some other visitors to Aikido Online can provide some information about Aikikai dojos in Asia. Meanwhile, we would suggest you contact Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. We believe they can direct you to a dojo. The web site is www.aikikai.or.jp.

Let us know if this works out.