Tag: Aikido Journal

Interview with Shin-Budo Kai Instructor Andrew Bordwin: Shizuo Imaizumi and Beyond

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Because of a friend’s recommendation, Andrew Bordwin entered Shizuo Imaizumi’s dojo in November of 1990 and was immediately captivated. In addition to Imaizumi’s vigorous aikido instruction, Bordwin was drawn to Imaizumi’s emphasis on weapons. Today, Bordwin took some time to talk about his aikido journey, how Shin-Budo Kai interacts with other aikido styles, and the … Continue reading Interview with Shin-Budo Kai Instructor Andrew Bordwin: Shizuo Imaizumi and Beyond

Interview with Aikido of San Leandro Founder Patricia Hendricks: Morihiro Saito, Iwama, and the Legacy, Part II

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Patricia Hendricks Sensei stumbled into an aikido class led by Mary Heiny in the San Francisco Bay area in 1974, quickly finding a teacher and lifelong friend in Stanley Pranin. They eventually moved to train at the Oakland Dojo – Aikido Institute – that focused on Iwama-ryu, propagated by Morihiro Saito Sensei. After a handful … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of San Leandro Founder Patricia Hendricks: Morihiro Saito, Iwama, and the Legacy, Part II

Interview with Bay Area Shodokan Aikido Chief Instructor Warren Pottebaum: Tomiki Aikido From Japan to America, Part I

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Warren Pottebaum began training aikido in 1993, at the University of Southern California, under the tutelage of Robert Dziubla, the current shihan of the Tomiki Aikido of the Americas. After moving to Berkeley and spending ten months at Shodokan Hombu Dojo in Osaka, Japan, he returned with a new set of skills and knowledge and … Continue reading Interview with Bay Area Shodokan Aikido Chief Instructor Warren Pottebaum: Tomiki Aikido From Japan to America, Part I

Interview with Tomiki Aikido of the Americas Cofounder Robert Dziubla: Tomiki Aikido on the International Stage, Part II

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Robert Dziubla entered the martial arts out of necessity, studying both aikido and karate as a teenager. In an effort to earn his black belt, he traveled to Japan in the early 1970s, training directly under Tomiki aikido founder Kenji Tomiki. Later, Tomiki tasked Dziubla with spreading Tomiki Aikido and the ensuing interview is his … Continue reading Interview with Tomiki Aikido of the Americas Cofounder Robert Dziubla: Tomiki Aikido on the International Stage, Part II

Interview With Aikido of Monterey Dojo-Cho Danielle Smith: Aikido in Northern California, Part II

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Danielle Smith began training under Stanley Pranin in 1973, eventually taking over Pranin’s Aikido of Monterey three years later. As she continued through her aikido journey, she had the opportunity to experience many different early instructors, like Frank Doran, Mary Heiny, Linda Holiday, and Motomichi Anno. She also trained in Hakko-ryu Jujutsu, Seibukan Jujutsu, and … Continue reading Interview With Aikido of Monterey Dojo-Cho Danielle Smith: Aikido in Northern California, Part II

Interview With Aikido of Monterey Dojo-Cho Danielle Smith: Aikido in Northern California, Part I

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Danielle Smith began training under Stanley Pranin in 1973, eventually taking over Pranin’s Aikido of Monterey three years later. As she continued through her aikido journey, she had the opportunity to experience many different early instructors, like Frank Doran, Mary Heiny, Linda Holiday, and Motomichi Anno. She also trained in Hakko-ryu Jujutsu, Seibukan Jujutsu, and … Continue reading Interview With Aikido of Monterey Dojo-Cho Danielle Smith: Aikido in Northern California, Part I

Interview with Californian Aikidoka Robert Noha: Aikido’s Spiritual Aspect

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Robert Noha began his aikido journey in 1966 and never looked back after finding a lifelong teacher and friend in Robert Nadeau. Under Nadeau’s guidance, Noha began to experience something more than the technical aspects of aikido – he began to see that the spiritual message left by O-Sensei would influence him for the rest … Continue reading Interview with Californian Aikidoka Robert Noha: Aikido’s Spiritual Aspect

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Jesse Spears: Obstacles Facing The Art of Peace in the United States

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This is a transcript of an interview with South Austin Aikido head instructor Jesse Spears in the spring of 2019. Here, we discuss the obstacles facing aikido in the United States. Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Hello and welcome Spears Sensei! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today! Jesse … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Jesse Spears: Obstacles Facing The Art of Peace in the United States

Reflecting on John Steven’s Abundant Peace

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Stevens, John. Abundant Peace: The Biography of Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido. Boston: Shambhala, 1987. The prolific aikido author John Stevens published his Abundant Peace in 1987, initially becoming one of the only sources of information outside of Aikido Journal on the art’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba, at the time. It provided many Western practitioners a … Continue reading Reflecting on John Steven’s Abundant Peace