“Matteeeeeeeeeee….” “Yameeeeeeeee…..” A few months of attendance at a course of a Japanese martial discipline leads you to familiarize with different oriental terms. Perhaps their meaning is not explained, yet after a few weeks the meaning is understood, on average. So when the Sensei says “matte” (with many “e” or not depending on the mood…), […]
Among Aikido communities, the phrase attributed to Morihei Ueshiba is known: 一教 一生 入り身 投げ 三年, ikkyo issho, irimi nage san nen: ikkyo for life, iriminage for three years. Let’s take the Japanese text of the quote. Let’s copy it into an online search engine and we will discover that there is not a single […]
You say “Christmas” and the mind goes to childhood. To your amazement in front of a crib. Gazing at the Christmas tree’s lights. To the warmth of a grandparent’s caress. To the joy of unwrapping a gift. Serene sensations that warm the heart with that little tenderness that slowly rootrd in us. You say “Christmas” […]
Why is it so important to learn to fall? Some university researchers investigated this a few years ago, starting from some statistical evidence. (You can learn more can reading here and here) Fall injuries are the second leading cause of death from unintentional injuries among minors, according to WHO data. A fact that, in Europe […]
Sooner or later it happens, it’s just a matter of time. Sooner or later, this sentence pops up during a class, in its various forms: “This movement/this technique/this situation, martially speaking, doesn’t make sense/makes sense/it’s done like this/it’s not done like that” Etc, etc, etc. It is an interesting sentence, which usually arises in two […]
Is there a link between ethics and aesthetics? And if so, can it be trained? These are questions that human beings have been asking themselves for centuries. Romans had given a hasty answer, according to their culture: “nulla ethica sine aesthethica”. There is no ethics, without aesthetics. We are all intimately convinced that we have […]
Energy efficiency is undoubtedly one of the mantras of recent years. A trend made even more topical by the international situation we are right now experiencing. For economic, financial and environmental reasons, we try to reduce consumption and put effort in not wasting energy. It is a difficult challenge. Almost fifteen years ago, when Alexa […]
It is reported that Morihiro Saito Sensei, during the dan tests, was very often focused just on the execution of katate dori tai no henko (片手取り体の変更) technique, thus dismissing the candidates, promoting them or not. Within the codified list of Aikido techniques, tai no henko is certainly one of the most useless tools in terms […]
Why do some people practice a martial discipline? In general: what is the value of being faithful in training and practicing in a world that seems to cancel every kind of certainties? Sports activities have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Within them, disciplines that foresee a physical contact, such as martial arts, have been […]
In Eastern culture, bowing is an essential element of the relationship. An element that contains a wide spectrum of shades. In Japanese culture, for instance, the ojigi (おじぎ) contains a plurality of meanings: depending on the occasion and the relationship there is a, let’s say, “proper” bowing, as a rule of etiquette. At this link […]
