Over the last several months, MAYTT has been conducting a large number of aiki-based interviews as well as working on similar related editorial content for the chronicle.Due to such a high volume of newly populated material, we here at MAYTT are officially declaring June to be Aiki Month! In addition to all the new content … Continue reading Aiki Month June 2024
Stevens, John. The Way of Judo: A Portrait of Jigoro Kano and His Students. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc, 2013 I had been wanting to read more about Jigoro Kano for a while now, however, I was always wary of the few biographies published in English because of the reviews relating how incomplete they were. It … Continue reading Reflecting on John Steven’s The Way of Judo
For Barbara Litt, aikido was not on her mind until one of her friends invited her to try a class; and that class was led by Shuji Maruyama, Kokikai Aikido’s founder. That first class and how the community welcomed her on the mat convinced her to train. Since she has joined the Kokikai Aikido community, … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh Founder Barbara Litt: Kokikai in America, Part II
For Barbara Litt, aikido was not on her mind until one of her friends invited her to try a class; and that class was led by Shuji Maruyama, Kokikai Aikido’s founder. That first class and how the community welcomed her on the mat convinced her to train. Since she has joined the Kokikai Aikido community, … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh Founder Barbara Litt: Kokikai in America, Part I
The Japanese Ninja boom of the 1980s left a mark on Lee Relf, so much so that he sought out ninjutsu. He found it in Arizona with Peter Crocoll and quickly enjoyed what he was learning. Since then, Relf has trained with numerous instructors from Japan and Europe and opened his Bujinkan Seitaku Dojo. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Ninjutsu Practitioner Lee Relf: Bujinkan Ninjutsu
While I was attending graduate school, I began participating in the university’s judo club. This was my first formal introduction to judo. I had taken several informal classes years before, but the club afforded me the opportunity to train regularly. This affiliation with the judo club ultimately led me to practice the Gentle Way in … Continue reading Pre-Order Campaign Announcement
Bruce Costa began training in Shotokan Karate under Teruyuki Okazaki in 1980 while at Temple University. What made him stay was the depth of content as represented by Okazaki himself, as opposed to what Costa had seen in popular culture. Since then, he opened Granite Forest Dojo in 2002 and has been a consistent and … Continue reading Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part II
Bruce Costa began training in Shotokan Karate under Teruyuki Okazaki in 1980 while at Temple University. What made him stay was the depth of content as represented by Okazaki himself, as opposed to what Costa had seen in popular culture. Since then, he opened Granite Forest Dojo in 2002 and has been a consistent and … Continue reading Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part I
James Nakayama first started training judo at the age of seven. Years later, an uncle told him about aikido. He soon enrolled into Orange County Aiki Kai, and has not stopped practicing since. In the 1970s, he met Fumio Toyoda and was captivated by his style and approach. It was not until the 1990s, after … Continue reading Interview with Chushinkan Dojo Founder James Nakayama: Fumio Toyoda and His Legacy
For several years now, I have taken up Olympic Fencing, learning the three weapons: foil, epee, and sabre. Coming from a martial arts background where the training revolves around the concepts of avoidance and proper position, I have found that the sporting culture of fencing does not yet synthesize all that well. For me, in … Continue reading Martial Mindset Versus a Sports Mindset
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 