A short essay on aikido and budo in the Western world. There are those things in life that often are a self-contained conundrum – where what you see isn’t what you get; where what you think you have is actually something completely different, and where things actually get harder the longer you do it. Aikido … Continue reading The Way of Harmony in a Western World by Michael Aloia
A short piece discussing the concept and the practice of ukemi, usually translated or defined as "the art of falling." Here, we try to look past this surface definition or translation. This originally appeared in jujitsu pioneer Geroge Kirby's Kokoro newsletter in March 2019 issue. In the traditional Japanese martial arts, many practitioners learn that ukemi … Continue reading More Than Just Falling: The Art of Self-Preservation
A short piece discussing the role of uke, the receiver of the technique, in training. This originally appeared in jujitsu pioneer Geroge Kirby's Kokoro newsletter in October 2018 issue. Uke – the “attacker,” the “opponent,” or the “one who is being thrown” – is the counterpart role of nage/tori, the one who performs the technique/throw. During … Continue reading The Benefits of Receiving
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 