Tag: Ukemi

Interview with Aikido of Madison Cofounders Robin Cooper and John Stone: Their Journey Through Aikido and Beyond, Part II

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Both Robin Cooper and John Stone started aikido at the same time, beginning their study in a dojo affiliated with Akira Tohei. After moving to California in the late 1970s, both of them trained with a variety of aikidoka and schools, ranging from Frank Doran, Bob Bryner, Bob Nadeau, and Bill Witt, to LA Aikikai … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of Madison Cofounders Robin Cooper and John Stone: Their Journey Through Aikido and Beyond, Part II

Interview with Sunday Morning Keiko Founder Rick Hotton: Karate, Aikido, and Body Intelligence, Part II

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Rick Hotton began training Shotokan Karate in the early 1970s, being one of the youngest practitioners to join the dojo. After taking responsibility for the dojo he once trained in, curiosity led him to aikido pioneer Mitsugi Saotome, who, to Hotton, is his best karate teacher. Today, Hotton discusses his karate journey, how Saotome influenced … Continue reading Interview with Sunday Morning Keiko Founder Rick Hotton: Karate, Aikido, and Body Intelligence, Part II

Interview with Southwinds Aikido Founder Jimmie Villarreal: Karl Geis and Kihara Aikido

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It happened almost by accident. Jimmie Villarreal was on vacation when he saw aikido in action and was completely enamored with what he saw. Unfortunately, he had to wait until 1990 to find a school and that is where he found Karl Geis. Today, Villarreal talks about first meeting and later training under Geis, in … Continue reading Interview with Southwinds Aikido Founder Jimmie Villarreal: Karl Geis and Kihara Aikido

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Andrew Wai: Feeling is Seeing

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Andrew Wai is not your average aikidoka, for he cannot see. But this has not stopped him from recently achieving his shodan! He first began aikido while he enrolled in Princeton University and continued on from there. Without his sight, he focuses on the feel of the technique and his ukemi. Today, Wai took some … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Andrew Wai: Feeling is Seeing

COVID-19 and the Aikido Community: The Aiki Extensions Initiative

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On April 16th, Aiki Extensions hosted what would become the first of many conferences, bringing together aikido practitioners from all around the world. In an effort for solidarity, event organizers Robert Kent, Jamie Zimron, and Quentin Cooke invited speakers from Israel, Turkey, Greece, Poland, and other locations to convey the effects of the recent COVID-19 … Continue reading COVID-19 and the Aikido Community: The Aiki Extensions Initiative

More Than Just Falling: The Art of Self-Preservation

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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