Author: Antonio Aloia

Solve or Submit: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as Real-Time Problem Solving by Michael Martin

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

What BJJ Really Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is commonly described as a martial art defined by leverage, technique, and positional control. While these descriptions accurately capture its mechanics, they remain incomplete. They explain how BJJ operates, but not what it fundamentally represents. At a deeper level, BJJ can be understood as a system of creative … Continue reading Solve or Submit: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as Real-Time Problem Solving by Michael Martin

Interview with Chicago Aikikai’s Historian Dwight Sora: Culture, Archives, and Aikido, Part III

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Combined with the recent move of Chicago Aikikai and a former student finding dojo boxes in his storage, Dwight Sora found a window into Chicago’s Aikido past. Some were archival footage of the school’s early days as Illinois Aikido Club with Koichi Tohei, others were newsletters and seminar posters of years and decades past. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Chicago Aikikai’s Historian Dwight Sora: Culture, Archives, and Aikido, Part III

Interview with Chicago Aikikai’s Historian Dwight Sora: Culture, Archives, and Aikido, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Combined with the recent move of Chicago Aikikai and a former student finding dojo boxes in his storage, Dwight Sora found a window into Chicago’s Aikido past. Some were archival footage of the school’s early days as Illinois Aikido Club with Koichi Tohei, others were newsletters and seminar posters of years and decades past. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Chicago Aikikai’s Historian Dwight Sora: Culture, Archives, and Aikido, Part II

Interview with Chicago Aikikai’s Historian Dwight Sora: Culture, Archives, and Aikido, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Combined with the recent move of Chicago Aikikai and a former student finding dojo boxes in his storage, Dwight Sora found a window into Chicago’s Aikido past. Some were archival footage of the school’s early days as Illinois Aikido Club with Koichi Tohei, others were newsletters and seminar posters of years and decades past. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Chicago Aikikai’s Historian Dwight Sora: Culture, Archives, and Aikido, Part I

Interview with Master of Defense Feradach mac Tralin: Approaches to Historical Fencing, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Feradach mac Tralin took interest in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) in 2011, watching the combat portion of the community and felt that was what he needed in his life. He has yet to look back. Focusing on German longsword and Italian rapier, Tralin discusses how the SCA balances the historical and modern aspects … Continue reading Interview with Master of Defense Feradach mac Tralin: Approaches to Historical Fencing, Part II

Interview with Master of Defense Feradach mac Tralin: Approaches to Historical Fencing, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Feradach mac Tralin took interest in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) in 2011, watching the combat portion of the community and felt that was what he needed in his life. He has yet to look back. Focusing on German longsword and Italian rapier, Tralin discusses how the SCA balances the historical and modern aspects … Continue reading Interview with Master of Defense Feradach mac Tralin: Approaches to Historical Fencing, Part I

Guide To Understanding PTSD After an Accident by Abby Mayfield

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

PTSD is a mental health condition that may develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, heightened anxiety, and depression. These symptoms are often triggered by environments, people, or situations that remind the individual of the trauma. PTSD can arise at any stage of life, whether the … Continue reading Guide To Understanding PTSD After an Accident by Abby Mayfield

John Eley: Aikido in Chicago, Through His Eyes, Part III

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

In 2023, I was in conversations with an intermediary to scheduling an interview with John Eley, one of the longest American students of Koichi Tohei and active member within the Ki Society. Unfortunately, the interview never materialized, however I was offered a previous interview Eley did in 2008. The quality is not the greatest, however, … Continue reading John Eley: Aikido in Chicago, Through His Eyes, Part III

Interview with Longtime Midwest Kenshi Ron Fox: Collegiate Kendo and Acting as Mediator, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

A foreign exchange student invited Ronald Fox to a kendo practice while on the Michigan State University campus and he was immediately hooked on the experience. After completing graduate school at UIUC and finding a job at MSU, Fox became the consistent instructor of the MSU Kendo Club. Since then, Fox has helped maintain the … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Midwest Kenshi Ron Fox: Collegiate Kendo and Acting as Mediator, Part II

Interview with Longtime Midwest Kenshi Ron Fox: Collegiate Kendo and Acting as Mediator, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

A foreign exchange student invited Ronald Fox to a kendo practice while on the Michigan State University campus and he was immediately hooked on the experience. After completing graduate school at UIUC and finding a job at MSU, Fox became the consistent instructor of the MSU Kendo Club. Since then, Fox has helped maintain the … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Midwest Kenshi Ron Fox: Collegiate Kendo and Acting as Mediator, Part I