by Nick Lowry Are there any such things as kata in aikido? Of course there are – it’s a silly question, but if you take it that aikido is the invention of M. Ueshiba, then originally, surprisingly No. Nor were … Read More
by Nick Lowry How do we impart knowledge in physical sense? How do imbue a student with not only the information that is contained in a physical culture of budo, but also with the fully embodied realization of said information—knowledge … Read More
As we train and practice seemingly endless repetitions of budo techniques day after day after year after year, as we pour our lives into the container of our chosen art, we inevitably find our actions and our lives being shaped and honed and turned toward an edge that transcends all that we know.
Violence will solve some problems but gentleness will solve all of them. Force has its place, we do achieve effects but employing violence, that much is undeniable, but when the use of force becomes adopted as the default strategy for responding to anxiety, then we fall prey to a pernicious and avoidable cycle.
Kyle Sloan When you set out learning Judo, you think about doing a throw and set about to make that happen. This is well, fine and good. This is how we all do things for a long time. At some … Read More
In 2001 I instituted “black belt choice” weeks into our dojo curriculum– this helped develop autonomy and creativity amongst my senior ranks and helped them grow into their own as teachers. It was an experiment and I liked how it worked and wrote the following:
Kyle Sloan How long does it take to achieve gumby-like flexibility? It varies from person to person. I went at things at an easy pace, slowly gaining a little flexibility over two or three years. How much time does it … Read More
by Nick Lowry As we enter Randori (literally chaos practice) it is easy to be overwhelmed and feel lost. We are wandering through unknown territory. Kata and Kihon (including randori sequence exercises, chains, renkzoku waza, etc) indeed all structured exercises … Read More
by Nick Lowry In Randori we are learning to perceive and react– go as slow and light as possible because the more you can stay in the slow/light frame of reference, the more information you will have about what is happening. Our … Read More
by Kyle Sloan I think it’s important to take a few minutes and discuss the five different levels of play in Judo. I begin at the lowest impact and work my way upward to full-out play. Uchi Komi – We practice … Read More