Over sixty participants gathered on a Saturday afternoon to discuss the future of aikido amidst the COVID pandemic. A panel of six aikidoka with which included medical and business backgrounds, facilitated the discussion on how the aikido community should move forward, looking at both the scientific and the business aspects of this global crisis. On … Continue reading Aikido Solstice Seminar Meeting: Aikido and COVID – What Now?
Originally written for an Urban History course during my graduate career, the following is the first part of study that explores the connection between martial arts and community development/urbanization. This is the first part of a two-part article. Read the second part here. Introduction Martial arts and its effects on urbanization in the United States … Continue reading The Indirect Effects of Martial Arts on Community Development and Urbanization: A Look at West Coast Communities of the United States, Part I
Bill Witt Sensei began training in aikido in 1967, under Ueshiba Morihei – O-Sensei – at Hombu Dojo in Tokyo. After O-Sensei passed away in 1969, Witt Sensei began training under Saito Morihiro Sensei in Iwama, Japan. He cofounded the Takemusu Aikido Association in 2002, based in California, and currently has been teaching at Aikido … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan Bill Witt: The Early Days of Aikido in Northern California
Beginning his judo training under the famed Takahiko Ishikawa at the Ishikawa Judo Club in 1968, Art Bourgeau soon inherited the club in 1983, being the head instructor for twenty-five years, under the Philadelphia Judo Club namesake. Today, Art discusses the history of one of the longest judo clubs in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Judo Club, … Continue reading Interview with Art Bourgeau, Part II: History of the Philadelphia Judo Club and J.B. Gross
Beginning his judo training under the famed Takahiko Ishikawa at the Ishikawa Judo Club in 1968, Art Bourgeau soon inherited the club in 1983, being the head instructor for twenty-five years, under the Philadelphia Judo Club namesake. Today, Art discusses his relationship with Ishikawa and his training under him. This is part one of a … Continue reading Interview with Art Bourgeau, Part I: Training Under Takahiko Ishikawa
Claire Keller began her aikido journey in 1980, having the chance to train under Kazuo Chiba, Mitsunari Kanai, Seichi Sugano, and Yoshimitsu Yamada. She trained with the latter until she became the only signatory on the Independent Coalition of USAF Women from the New York Aikikai and was subsequently expelled in late 2019. In this … Continue reading Interview with Former Independent Coalition of USAF Women Member Claire Keller: The Cause and the Future
Hiroshi Ikeda began his Aikido training in 1968 in Tokyo. He holds the rank of seventh dan and is founder and chief instructor of Boulder Aikikai, in Boulder Colorado. The following is a transcript of an interview in the summer of 2019. We had the chance to discuss the current state of aikido in the … Continue reading Interview with Hiroshi Ikeda: Aikido’s Current State in the United States
Todd Jones, founder of American Butokukan, began his martial arts journey in 1971 with taekwondo, moving to aikido two years later. This is a transcript of an interview conducted the fall of 2018 for research of my upcoming American aikido history book. Here, we discuss his time under Thomas “Doc” Walker, the early days of … Continue reading Interview with Todd Jones: Thomas “Doc” Walker and Growing Aikido in Florida
Kirby, George. Jujitsu: Advanced Techniques for Redirecting an Opponent’s Energy. California: Black Belt Books, 2015. From the title, it sounds like George Kirby and his jujitsu borrowed some pointers from aikido. Aikido techniques are derived from jujitsu, so are some of its concepts. Aikido may be characterized as soft and jujitsu as hard, but these … Continue reading Reflecting on Jujitsu Pioneer George Kirby’s Advanced Techniques for Redirecting an Opponent’s Energy
Starting judo at a young age, Kathy Hubble quickly jumped into competitions, and by 1985, she was a member of the Judo Canada Team. She soon quit judo and spent twenty-five years as a stunt performer in Hollywood North. In 2013, she returned to judo, winning gold in the Masters World Championships in Abu Dhabi, … Continue reading Interview with Canadian Judo Champion Kathy Hubble: From Judo to Stunt Work and Back Again
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 