Category: Interviews

Interview with Longtime UK Kenshi and Historian Paul Budden: Kendo’s Varied History and its International Future, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Growing up close to Hadrian’s Wall – erected during Rome’s reign of the British Isles – Paul Budden found his interest in history. His interest of Japanese sword – born out of his love of history – led him into a kendo dojo and has not looked back since. Throughout his time in kendo, he … Continue reading Interview with Longtime UK Kenshi and Historian Paul Budden: Kendo’s Varied History and its International Future, Part II

Interview with Longtime UK Kenshi and Historian Paul Budden: Kendo’s Varied History and its International Future, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Growing up close to Hadrian’s Wall – erected during Rome’s reign of the British Isles – Paul Budden found his interest in history. His interest of Japanese sword – born out of his love of history – led him into a kendo dojo and has not looked back since. Throughout his time in kendo, he … Continue reading Interview with Longtime UK Kenshi and Historian Paul Budden: Kendo’s Varied History and its International Future, Part I

Interview with DoyleStick Instructor John Borter: An Insider’s Look at Irish Stick Fighting, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

After training in many martial arts, John Borter stumbled onto Irish stick fighting by accident. Once he found out more, he was hooked and continues to teach and learn today. In this interview, Borter covers the world of Doyle Irish stick, sharing the techniques, traditions, and history that make it both a battle-tested martial art … Continue reading Interview with DoyleStick Instructor John Borter: An Insider’s Look at Irish Stick Fighting, Part II

Interview with DoyleStick Instructor John Borter: An Insider’s Look at Irish Stick Fighting, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

After training in many martial arts, John Borter stumbled onto Irish stick fighting by accident. Once he found out more, he was hooked and continues to teach and learn today. In this interview, Borter covers the world of Doyle Irish stick, sharing the techniques, traditions, and history that make it both a battle-tested martial art … Continue reading Interview with DoyleStick Instructor John Borter: An Insider’s Look at Irish Stick Fighting, Part I

Interview with Dutch Aikidoka Natanja den Boeft: International Student of Shizuo Imaizumi

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

When a dancer discovers aikido, the meeting point of art and budo can lead to something profound. For Natanja den Boeft, that encounter began in a Freiburg, Germany dance studio in 1986, where ki training was introduced as part of her dance education. Completely intrigued, Boeft found herself training aikido and later learning from Shizuo … Continue reading Interview with Dutch Aikidoka Natanja den Boeft: International Student of Shizuo Imaizumi

Howard Wray on Judo and Training with Takahiko Ishikawa, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Howard Wray found judo through a night school where Al Wallace was teaching. Wallace would take his students down to Philadelphia and introduce them to his instructor, Takahiko Ishikawa. From then on, Wray began to learn from both judo men. In this conversation in the summer of 2023, Wray recalls how Ishikawa structured his classes … Continue reading Howard Wray on Judo and Training with Takahiko Ishikawa, Part I

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

~ 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 I

Interview with Longtime Judoka John Unruh: The Magic of Takahiko Ishikawa

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

By chance, a young John Unruh found himself speaking to judo champion Takahiko Ishikawa in the summer of 1965. In a matter of minutes, Unruh sensed something magical about Ishikawa and quickly joined the school and never looked back. Today, Unruh took some time to talk about the teaching methodologies Ishikawa employed and the legacies … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Judoka John Unruh: The Magic of Takahiko Ishikawa

Interview with Aikikai Reykjavik Instructors Palmi Sinonarson and Marco Solimene: Iceland’s Aikido Roots

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Nestled in Midtown Reykjavik, you would pass the Aikikai Reykjavik Dojo if you did not know what you were looking for. After teaching and participating in an energetic class, Palmi Sinonarson and Marco Solimene sit down to talk about aikido’s foothold in Iceland, highlighting the importance of both local and international community and how that … Continue reading Interview with Aikikai Reykjavik Instructors Palmi Sinonarson and Marco Solimene: Iceland’s Aikido Roots

Interview with Longtime Takahiko Ishikawa Student Bob Karr: The Impact of a Legend, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Bob Karr began learning judo at the age of thirteen in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. There, he met Thomas Blair, Joe Condello, Howie Wray, and many others. Within a year, Karr began to train with Takahiko Ishikawa in Philadelphia. As he trained under Ishikawa, Karr got to meet and practice with many strong and soon to be … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Takahiko Ishikawa Student Bob Karr: The Impact of a Legend, Part II