Tag: Aikido

Interview with Ram’s Head Fencing Founder Josias Arcadia: Lineages and Competitions, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

He had to train in secret at first, but after a move to Minnesota, Josias Arcadia found a school to practice historical fencing. In an effort to learn more of the German tradition of longsword, Arcadia began his Ram’s Head Fencing and began training with James Riley in the Kunst des Fechtens tradition. Recently, he … Continue reading Interview with Ram’s Head Fencing Founder Josias Arcadia: Lineages and Competitions, Part I

Interview with Futabakai Founder Nobukazu Miura: Teaching Kendo and Iaido

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Nobukazu Miura first studied kendo as part of a physical education program in high school. After moving to North Carolina to open a Japanese restaurant, Miura restarted training kendo in 2000. He then relocated to Washington, DC, began teaching there, then moved to Pennsylvania and opened another Japanese restaurant. There, he met aikidoka Todd Kupper, … Continue reading Interview with Futabakai Founder Nobukazu Miura: Teaching Kendo and Iaido

Interview with Shodokan Instructor Bob Whelan: The Legacies of Mitsunari Kanai and Bernie Mulligan

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

After moving back to the Boston Area in 1977, Bob Whelan began training under Mitsunari Kanai in his New England Aikikai. There, he started to learn to steal the technique from Kanai. Later, Whelan trained under Bernie Mulligan at what is now Shodokan School of Martial Arts. As of now, Whelan continues the legacies of … Continue reading Interview with Shodokan Instructor Bob Whelan: The Legacies of Mitsunari Kanai and Bernie Mulligan

Martial Arts Tourism: A Small Aspect with Big Effects

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Originally written for an International Economic course during my graduate career, the following is a study that explores the relatively unknown field of Martial Arts Tourism. Pinning down exactly what martial arts tourism does for a city, region, or country is more difficult than it may seem, as it flies under the radar of the … Continue reading Martial Arts Tourism: A Small Aspect with Big Effects

Interview with Longtime Battodo Practitioners Zach Biesanz and Michael Shane: Aikido, Battodo, and the United States, Part II

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Zach Biesanz and Michael Shane both studied aikido and later sought instruction in battodo after repeatedly hearing aikido teachers say aikido movements “come from the sword.” Turns out, there's a lot more to cutting with a sword than mimicking the external movements. Biesanz, after training with Sang Kim, opened his Zentokan Dojo in 2016 with … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Battodo Practitioners Zach Biesanz and Michael Shane: Aikido, Battodo, and the United States, Part II

Interview with Longtime Battodo Practitioners Zach Biesanz and Michael Shane: Aikido, Battodo, and the United States, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Zach Biesanz and Michael Shane both studied aikido and later sought instruction in battodo after repeatedly hearing aikido teachers say aikido movements “come from the sword.” Turns out, there's a lot more to cutting with a sword than mimicking the external movements. Biesanz, after training with Sang Kim, opened his Zentokan Dojo in 2016 with … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Battodo Practitioners Zach Biesanz and Michael Shane: Aikido, Battodo, and the United States, Part I

Interview with Bushikan Aikido Kai Founder Greg Sinclair: Searching for Functionality in Aikido

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

After starting out in the striking arts and getting into his fair share of fights, Greg Sinclair was trying to find something that would help him in situations where he was physically outmatched. He found aikido in 1992. After training for a number of years and by a lucky chance, Sinclair found himself learning directly … Continue reading Interview with Bushikan Aikido Kai Founder Greg Sinclair: Searching for Functionality in Aikido

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Bob Toabe: Training Under Mitsunari Kanai, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

In 1974, Bob Toabe stepped onto the mats of Shodokan to learn aikido under Fred Newcomb. Mitsunari Kanai, Newcomb’s instructor and New England Aikikai founder, made the trip on the last Friday of each month to teach. When Toabe enrolled into Boston University, he was able to train at both Shodokan and New England Aikikai, … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Bob Toabe: Training Under Mitsunari Kanai, Part II

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Bob Toabe: Training Under Mitsunari Kanai, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

In 1974, Bob Toabe stepped onto the mats of Shodokan to learn aikido under Fred Newcomb. Mitsunari Kanai, Newcomb’s instructor and New England Aikikai founder, made the trip on the last Friday of each month to teach. When Toabe enrolled into Boston University, he was able to train at both Shodokan and New England Aikikai, … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Bob Toabe: Training Under Mitsunari Kanai, Part I

A Distinctive Dilemma: How Aikido Struggles to Find an Identity in the Modern World by Michael Aloia

~ Antonio Aloia ~ 1 Comment

Even during its formation, Aikido has taken on many permutations and multiple interpretations. In brief, its origins are a mixture of physical movements, battlefield ideologies, cultural philosophies, and religious beliefs. More than 80 years after its coining, Aikido continues to take on many forms and interpretations. With the art now moving into a new era … Continue reading A Distinctive Dilemma: How Aikido Struggles to Find an Identity in the Modern World by Michael Aloia