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Kobukan Dojo Era (Part 1) by Stanley Pranin
Formal portrait of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba taken inside the Kobukan Dojo c. 1935 Part 2 of this article is available here Introduction In April of 1931, Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido,...
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Aikido: Property of the Ueshiba Family, by Stanley Pranin
Current Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba with his father Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the Second Doshu, at the Aiki Taisai in Iwama, c. 1990In answer to a question regarding the role played by Aikido Founder Morihei...
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“Memoir of the Master,” by Morihei Ueshiba with commentary by Stanley Pranin
“I want considerate people to listen to the voice of Aikido. It is not for correcting others; it is for correcting your own mind” One of the first aikido books published in English appeared in 1963....
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Is O-Sensei Really the Father of Modern Aikido?, by Stanley Pranin
“O-Sensei did not teach in Tokyo on a regular basis after the war. Even when he appeared, often he would spend most of the hour lecturing on esoteric subjects completely beyond the comprehension of...
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Add Morihei Ueshiba’s Name Card to Your Collection of Aikido Memorabilia! by...
“For those who have come to believe that Morihei’s association with the Omoto religion became distant after the devastating consequences of the Second Omoto Incident of December 1935, this simple name...
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Interview with Koichi Tohei (1), by Stanley Pranin
Koichi Tohei teaching at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1962 “I began studying aikido because I saw that Ueshiba Sensei had truly mastered the art of relaxing. It was because he was relaxed, in fact, that...
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Morihei’s Ueshiba Juku, Launchpad of a Martial Arts Career, by Stanley Pranin
Morihei inside of Ueshiba Juku, Ayabe c. 1922 “The role of this much maligned religious sect in the launching of Morihei’s career, and the subsequent birth and spiritual emphasis of aikido cannot be...
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Interview with Mitsunari Kanai Sensei (2)
This is the second part of an interview with Mitsunari Kanai Sensei which took place on August 22, 1979, at the New England Summer Camp. Mitsunari Kanai (1939-2004)I think it is significant that from...
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Interview with Michio Hikitsuchi Sensei, Aikido 10th Dan by Laurin Herr and...
Excerpts from this 2001 interview conducted in Shingu, Japan were originally published in “Remembering O-Sensei”, edited by Susan Perry (Shambhala Publications 2002) “What I learned directly from...
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Dan Rankings by Stanley Pranin
“In Aikido as in every martial discipline, there are individuals who are clearly competent and those whose backgrounds and lineage cannot withstand even cursory scrutiny.” This editorial was written...
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Expanding and Refining the Notion of Self-defense by Stanley Pranin
“Martial artists discover that their discipline and effort has paid off handsomely and, in the bargain, provided benefits which spill over into other areas of their lives.” Aikido Journal #103 (1995)...
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Sokaku Takeda: Bodyguard in Hokkaido by Tokimune Takeda
“When Sokaku was 21 years old he engaged in a life-or-death struggle with some 300 rowdy construction workers for six hours!” From Aiki News #70 (March 1986) Sokaku Takeda c. 1910 Since I receive many...
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Cooperation During Demonstrations by Stanley Pranin
“You are going to be required to absorb the application of numerous, painful techniques which, lest we forget, were originally intended for maiming and killing.” From Aiki News #65 (December 1984) The...
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A Consideration of Aikido Practice within the Context of Internal Training...
Ellis Amdur training with Bruce Bookman “High-level training requires high-level people, and high-level skills will only be acquired by an elite few” This essay has been published before: originally,...
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The Dawn of Tomiki Aikido by Seiji Tanaka
“The mere technicians only teach techniques, but true educators, like Professor Kano and Professor Tomiki, teach us the methods and principles upon which their students can grow with no limitations.”...
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Screencast: Focus on History —“Morihei Ueshiba’s Ill-starred Mongolian...
“If you have read anything about aikido history, you’ll remember that this expedition failed, and Onisaburo and his party — including of course, Morihei — were captured and nearly executed by the...
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Interview with Swordmaster Kiyoshi Nakakura (1) by Hideo Yamanaka and Stanley...
Morihei Ueshiba’s adopted son, Kiyoshi Nakakura, attacking the Founder in demonstration, probably in Osaka c. 1934 “I had the feeling that no one could beat me. I had rarely lost a match before, and I...
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Historical photo: “Morihei Ueshiba captivates budo aficionados among Tokyo’s...
“Here in a single image that tells a story with many threads, we see a 43-year-old martial arts phenomenon at the outset of his illustrious career.” In 1927, Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba moved his...
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Historical photos: Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei performing the misogi jo, c. 1965...
“A nuboko adorned with jewels was used by Izanami and Izanagi while standing on the Ame no Ukihashi to ‘stir’ the sea!” This series of photos shows Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei performing misogi jo...
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Using Koichi Tohei’s Model as a Baseline, by Mike Sigman
A young Steven Seagal attempts to lift Koichi Tohei, c. 1972 “Steven Seagal can’t lift Koichi Tohei!” One of the big problems with many of the Aikido articles printed by westerners is that they are...
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