Last year was the 30th year since I began Aikido with my father. I was 13 at the time, and he was 44; I grudgingly joined him in classes at the Harvard Aikido club. A few months later we began to train at Kanai Sensei’s dojo, New England Aikikai. By this time, I had fallen […]
My eyes grow dim, I cannot see, I cannot take good ukemi.—Kenshusei summer camp ditty c. 1994, to the tune of “The Quartermaster’s Store,” a WW1 British Army song . . . For here there is no placethat does not see you. You must change your life.—Rainer Maria Rilke Dear Sensei,It doesn’t matter that the […]
You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair. Taisen Deshimaru My wife believes that I have an obsessive attachment to stones. I began collecting rocks in childhood, gathering stream-polished pebbles that I carefully stashed in my pockets. After we inherited the farm business […]
One moment I stride gracefully down the path to our barn. And then, Bam! I am on my back on the ice, gazing upward at sky and cloud. A jet inscribes a contrail at the edge of my vision. I am content to relax on the cold ground, curiously grateful for the tumble. There is […]
…Nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things… Gerald Manley Hopkins You have waited for this moment. After driving past the aikido dojo many times, you finally summon the nerve to join. You wear your keikogi (uniform) for the first time; the unbleached cotton smells like fresh straw. You are startled […]
We are driving to a party when my wife suddenly stops beside a body. He is lying on the steep hill on our dirt road in rural Vermont, almost a mile from our nearest neighbor. We cautiously approach. He lies amidst bracken fern, his white hair a sharp contrast with the green foliage. He has […]
Completely lacking talent or ambition, I commit myself to one thing, and one thing only… Basho Matsuo Summer grass – All that remains of Warrior’s dreams Basho It is early in the morning and dew is heavy on the ground. The August sun touches the tips of the red pines with golden light. Every morning […]
Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble And if I stay it will be double So come on and let me know— The Clash You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair. — Samurai maxim, […]
Why do herons stand on one leg? Some scientists believe unipedal rest allows the chilly bird to retain body heat, while others think that the one-legged profile makes the bird look less like juicy prey. By integrating balance and postural alignment, The Heron Pose also greatly benefits humans. Good balance and proper posture allow us […]
When I was 4 years old, I almost drowned. It was winter, and there was a great hole in the ice on our pond. I recall pushing my golden retriever, Tapper, away from the water’s edge; I was worried that he might break the ice, and instead I managed to propel myself into the water. […]
Some people claim to have been touched by the wings of angels; I guess that I could say that I was tossed, pinned and choked by a playful, spirited imp. I studied with Murashige Sensei at San Diego Aikikai, where he was the assistant instructor under Kazuo Chiba Sensei. I had moved to San Diego […]
- 1
- 2