Siegel, Andrea. Women in Aikido. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books, 1993. In performing background research for this book, I found a review of it plainly stating that the pages were filled with women complaining and whining about their lives and experiences. This struck me as odd and perhaps too extreme of a view on the … Continue reading Reflecting on Women in Aikido
Perception is a unique, individual characteristic shared by each of us. How we perceive will often determine how we respond. Similar or even the exact situation shared or experienced by two or more individuals may have a completely different end result simply because interpretations are different. Many factors play a role as we discern circumstance: … Continue reading That Thing You Do by Michael Aloia
Ralph Bryan experienced many different styles of aikido throughout his time before settling with Shizuo Imaizumi. He first started in Hawaii with Aikikai, and then with Bill Lee of Ki Society in Austin, Texas, and later with Mitsugi Saotome’s Aikido Schools of Ueshiba in Takoma Park, Maryland. He joined Shin-Budo Kai in 1994 with Wade … Continue reading Interview with Albuquerque Shin-Budo Kai Chief Instructor Ralph Bryan: Always Coming Back to Aikido
John Bieszk first started judo after going through not the nicest part of Chicago. After finding some time between schooling, he arrived at the Illinois Aikido Club under Akira Tohei. After taking a leave of absence due to college work, he found Fumio Toyoda in 1980 and he never stopped. Once he earned his shodan … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka John Bieszk: Fumio Toyoda in the Midwest, Part II
John Bieszk first started judo after going through not the nicest part of Chicago. After finding some time between schooling, he arrived at the Illinois Aikido Club under Akira Tohei. After taking a leave of absence due to college work, he found Fumio Toyoda in 1980 and he never stopped. Once he earned his shodan … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka John Bieszk: Fumio Toyoda in the Midwest, Part I
So many of us want to be where the action is, we want to be the one who saves the day. We want to be the hero. There is a certain rush in knowing who played a hand in something out of the ordinary and that who was me. It is commendable, it is admirable, … Continue reading When Does the Training End and The Reality Begin? By Michael Aloia
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 