Do we know how to attack? Nice figurines When we train children and introduce them to techniques in response to strikes or cuts, the tatami comes alive with tiny figures from a mechanical creche -little statuettes slicing through the air, rigid as marble. Or throwing a punch that inevitably diverts at the last moment, missing […]
Is the constant and incremental practice of a discipline an ally to our growth and well-being? Or is it exactly the opposite? It depends. To try to outline an answer, we need to look at how our system works. Pleasure and reward Our system is so well-designed that it releases dopamine when it perceives positive […]
Who is Prosper Weeder? Could he possibly be yet another guy nobody has ever heard of, who gets named a sevenfouteenth dan and shihan at the Kagami Biraki? Nothing of the sort. If we look at the kanji that make up Morihei Ueshiba’s name, 盛平植芝, and translate them literally one by one, the result is, […]
The plaque placed by NASA on the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes captured the imagination of us kids born in the seventies and eighties. It had it all: the mystery of space exploration; technology making giant leaps; the curiosity, mixed with hope and fears, of wondering whether we are alone in this Universe. The plaque […]
Wingy è uno dei sei passeri che abitano sotto le tegole del tetto del nostro ufficio. Lo chiamiamo così perché ha una piccola striscia bianca su entrambe le ali, che lo rende ben riconoscibile in mezzo agli altri. In foto potete vedere il Dojo in cui Wingy e i suoi compagni si esercitano. Il Dojo […]
Wingy is one of six sparrows living under the tiles of the roof of our office. We call it that because it has a small white stripe on both wings, making it easily recognizable among the others. In the photo, you can see the Dojo where Wingy and its companions practice—the balcony where they scatter […]
If this post had moralistic intentions, it would have the advantage of being very short. A few impactful sentences, spiced with some platitudes, and that’s it. We train in a martial discipline not to learn how to slap a hypothetical aggressor but to face the many daily challenges. Because the real fight is making ends […]
Let’s try to look at the practice of a martial discipline from the perspective of balance. As training progresses, we soon realize that posture gradually changes and with it the ability to keep a certain balance. Over time, the two concepts somehow overlap and represent our ability to manage the body in the most functional […]
Teaching, first of all, is receiving. When you have the privilege to be in contact with children, it often happens that you receive some gift from them. A drawing (where that “thing” with very long legs and black pants is you, next to children drawn with a thousand colors). Two candies. A colored pencil. These […]
In June 2024, Makoto Saito presented a thesis of dissertation at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology titled “Learning Ecosystems for Club Organizations Promoting Member Retention: Personal Networks in Group Training at an Aikido Dojo – Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis.” We are always interested in a broad perspective on Aikido and Martial disciplines, […]
