Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Enjoy this brief video review of the Art of Peace by Miriam Knight of New Consciousness Review

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Saturday January 8th 2011: John Stevens Reception and Book Signing Honolulu

Saturday January 8th 2011: John Stevens Reception and Book Signing

John Stevens, Opening Reception and Book Signing

Scholar, Author, Martial Artist, Calligrapher, Curator, Collector, Rascal!

Saturday January 8th 2011, 1:30pm - 5pm

See www.robynbuntin.com 

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Classical Aikido Facebook page

We've started a Facebook page for Classical Aikido, Check it out. Let's put up some info & media of Shirata Sensei, Stevens Sensei, and of course Morihei O'sensei

Aiki Notes: John Stevens Sensei in Pennsylvania-October 1-3, ...

Aiki Notes: John Stevens Sensei in Pennsylvania-October 1-3, ...: "Big Brush Zen Calligraphy' Workshop and Zen Scroll Exhibit/Sale by John Stevens. Oct. 1-3 in Philadelphia, PA. See the article titled '..."

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Martial Artist Making a Difference

A Martial Artist Making a Difference - The Biography of Founder Morihei Ueshiba - Part VIII 

Paul Rest, San Francisco Examiner

  • September 21st, 2010 12:07 pm PT
The periods during the war and after found O Sensei living Iwama. Kisshomaru Doshu writes that O Sensei believed that “fighting and farming are one” (Heino-ichinyo). It was during this same period of time that he made the rural location the “new home of Aikido.” No doubt this was partially because there was a possibility that the dojo in Tokyo could be destroyed during a bombing raid.
On a historical note, the war years saw Aikido co-opted into a national bureaucratic structure that governed all martial arts in Japan. O Sensei, it would appear, quietly stepped back from this. As the Doshu writes, “He did not openly oppose the actions of the government, but his integrity would not allow the art he had built in his own lifetimes, through blood, sweat, and tears, to be subsumed for convenience into a mere section of a large, bureaucratic organization.”
Like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and theologian who began an underground church to avoid becoming part of the national Protestant church created by the Nazi government, so too O Sensei continued on his path outside the state's sanction.  A small Shinto altar was built in an old barn on the property in Iwama. O Sensei told one and all that this was the “birthplace of Aikido.” Read More

Aikido Celebration 2011 - Feb 18-21, 2011 in Hawaii

Aikido Celebration 2011 - Feb 18-21, 2011 in Hawaii

"Aikido Celebration 2011" is an organization composed of more than 20 Aikido dojo throughout the state of Hawaii dedicated to the public celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first and only visit made to Hawaii by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido.

A commemorative seminar and banquet with Sandai Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba is being planned for February 2011.

I've started an announcements only mailing list for those who are interested in attending the event (or are just curious). It is intended to be a low traffic list to update interested parties as plans for the event develop.

Those interested can subscribe at http://www.aikidohawaii2011.org

Best,

Chris LI

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

John Stevens Sensei in Pennsylvania-October 1-3, 2010

Big Brush Zen Calligraphy" Workshop and Zen Scroll Exhibit/Sale by John Stevens. Oct. 1-3 in Philadelphia, PA.

    See the article titled "Pure Movement, Aikido, and "Big Brush Calligraphy" in the General Forum Section of aikidojournal.com 
Schedule-
Friday Oct 1
  10am-1pm. "the Spiritual Techniques of  Aikido"
             United Martial Arts & Fitness   Center
               109 Allison Rd.
               Oreland, PA 19075
             $30.- per person
  5-7pm. Opening Reception
           Nakashima Woodworkers
             1847 Aquetong Rd.
             New Hope, PA. 18938
           Lecture: "Friendship: Acquire, Comprehend Zen Art Scrolls
             Introduction by Mira Nakashima
Sat. Oct. 2
  10am. Special Nakahsima Tour
           $20.- per person
        Informal open calligraphy session
           n/c
  1-4pm. Exhibit/Sale
           1pm. lecture
            Open to public,  n/c
Sun. Oct. 3
  10am.  Big Brush Calligraphy Workshop
           $45.- per person
  1-4pm.  Exhibit/Sale
           1pm. lecture
            Open to public  n/c
Note: Friday evening, Sat. and Sun. events are all at Nakashima Woodworkers in New Hope.
Registration/Info:
  Joe- cell 215 901 9115

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

HIghlights form O'Sensei'l Life and Message event



Highlights from the Aikido demonstration and lecture at the O'Sensei's Life and Message event. One of the demonstrators was Dr. Rober Frager, founder of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.Mary Heiny is also a demonstrator.

The lecturer, John Stevens, is an internationally acclaimed Aikidoka and one of the foremost authorities on Aikido and Buddhist studies. Professor Stevens taught Eastern Philosophy at Tohoku Fukushi University in Japan for 35 years and has written over thirty books on Aikido, Buddhism and Asian culture.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Love is the Guardian Deity

"Love is the guardian deity of everything. 
Nothing can exist without it. 
Aikido is the realization of love."
Morihei Ueshiba

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

True Victory is Self Victory.

True Victory is Self Victory.
Tie yourself to the divinity within 
to find the salvation 
that is in your very body and soul.

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Power of Kokyu Ryoku

Translation: Kokyu - breathe, respire, Ryoku - power


In the following translation of an excerpt from Aikido no Kokoro - Kokyu Ryoku (合氣道の心ー呼吸力) Sunadomari Kanshu describes the meaning of power of Kokyu Ryoku in Manseikan Aikido and how the term Kokyu Ryoku carries a much deeper meaning than it's simple translation of breathe power.


Kokyu Ryoku in Manseikan Aikido

Within the spirit of Aikido, which begins “Aiki is love....”, the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba said that, “this martial art is the supreme way and call to unite our body and spirit under the laws of heaven,” however what was meant by “the laws of heaven”. In short, these laws are nothing less than those, which bind all things together that exist within nature. Morihei Ueshiba often referred to Aikido as Takemusu Aiki (武産合気), which means the spontaneous generation of martial techniques by remaining in accordance with the power and structure of nature. It was said that Aikido offers us a way to teach the “basis” for creation of such techniques and therefore an understanding this “basis” is clearly an essential requirement for the generation of infinite techniques. This “basis” is the power to unify, this is the power of Kokyu Ryoku.