Thoughts and ideas for the aikido practitioners and any martial artists interested in martial arts history, training, strategy, and growth.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/1/20/678e7ebc-9652-4570-b862-59cd575647bf_map_193.mp3

We discuss the future of Yoshinkan aikido, and the material shared in the first of three conversations posted on the Aikido Shudokan YouTube channel. Link to that discussion:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4xiIFRRCCg&amp;t=17s&amp;ab_channel=AikidoShudokan For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 193: The Future of Yoshinkan Aikido - with Joe Thambu

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/7/15/c7e115ab-b787-44c1-8cf9-0a544513b00f_map_192.mp3

The martial arts are going through a major evolution in a number of ways currently. Our discussion covers how this affects dojos and practitioners alike. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 192: Next Evolution in Martial Arts - with Matt Stait and John Keeley

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/11/20/18/d10b5b9d-eff2-437f-a24a-8ef17e487eb3_map_191.mp3

How would you approach forming a new dojo or looking at your current dojo&#39;s training and practices with an eye on how to improve? What traditions would you keep, lose, or change?For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 191: Reimagining the Dojo and Training - with Col. Todd Hulsey

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Our discussion dives deep and covers an examination of many aspects of how we can adjust aikido&#39;s martial future. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 190: Aikido Renaissance? - with John Keeley

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/8/28/14/8e7d9c07-d688-4989-a17d-0258b660634e_map_189.mp3

Martial arts training must include a live element to develop applicable skills and discover deficiencies. Our discussion covers how to approach this, and how not to approach it. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 189: Aikido Pressure Testing - with Dunken Francis

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Our discussion covers many aspects of the relationship between aikido and grappling, including whether aikido is a grappling art. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 188: Aikido and Grappling - with Steven Scott

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Striking is often overlooked or omitted from aikido. Was this always the case? We discuss this topic as well as bringing striking back and integrating it with aikido training. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 187: Aikido and Striking - with Oliver Martinez

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2023/1/19/20/0ec0b285-d497-4945-8ec2-516a8df75ba8_map_186.mp3

Etiquette is used both as a method for showing respect and for safe practices. Etiquette and respect can go too far and create a negative experience, sometimes driving people away.In this discussion, we take on the elephant in the room of when it can go too far.For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonlinePaypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 186: When Etiquette Goes Too Far - with Ellis Amdur and Steven Scott

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We discuss adjusting your training to make your aikido more martially viable, useful and practical for self-defense. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 185: Training Martial Aikido - with Rionne Fujiwara

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Our discussion goes into depth about the widely held belief that aikido is purely defensive in nature. Is it fact or myth - or somewhere in between?Edit: My apologies. The intro from the previous episode is at the beginning, but the interview is the one with Ellis Amdur, not Remy Helgesen.For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 164: Is Aikido a Defensive Art? - with Ellis Amdur

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Misunderstandings and myths about what violence is, how it goes, and how to handle it are common among martial artists of all kinds. We discuss real violence and how understanding it better positively affects our martial arts training. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 183: Real Violence and Aikido Training - with Remy Helgesen

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We discuss Dunken&#39;s video series, going into the topics he covers in greater detail. Aikido of Silverdale&#39;s playlist of the video series:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA520V4pOPWKrvo27LauSOC8qiPQKH7hK For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 182: "Can We Fix Aikido?" - with Dunken Francis

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/7/19/19/621ea0da-6021-41e3-8555-3217c4b7c161_map_181.mp3

It is often said of aikido that it doesn&#39;t require strength. Is this strictly true? Not necessarily. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 181: Is Using Strength in Aikido Bad Form?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/6/30/18/c4ac35c0-3c88-437f-9424-a59cb9a5c70e_map_180.mp3

All arts evolve, sometimes for good and sometimes not. Steven Scott and I discuss how martial arts training are evolving, both for good and bad. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 180: How Martial Arts are Evolving - with Steven Scott

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/5/26/16/4eec4c4e-9656-43b0-a39b-01960dbbb096_map_179.mp3

There are many times in history when martial arts changed significantly. From how arts evolved in terms of function, as well as how they are perceived by the public, these changes in the times led to revolutions in how the martial arts were practiced and how they became popular - or lost their popularity. Are we currently at such a point in history? ﻿For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 179: Is There a Revolution In the Martial Arts Right Now? - with Matt Stait

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/5/8/17/86d5eb22-2823-475f-bf92-d773e50df4e4_map_178.mp3

All arts have great things to offer, but also have their drawbacks. We go through a number of martial arts and provide an overview breakdowns of their advantages and weaknesses. These can give you ideas for good arts to cross train in or which art(s) which may suit your own particular interests. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 178: Ups and Downs of Various Martial Arts - with Oliver Martinez

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It is often taught that Aikido&#39;s heritage was the ancient Japanese battlefield, where it&#39;s techniques were born. Is this true? This episode is a conversation which is a follow up to the previous episode (ep. 167) with Ellis Amdur where he goes into the history of aikido back as far as Sokaku Takeda. In this episode, we go back much farther into Japanese history and cover the development of the samurai, their weapons, and armor. A link to Ellis&#39; book, which we discuss on the show - Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions (Expanded Edition)https://edgeworkbooks.com/old-school/ For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 177: Did Aikido Come From the Battlefield? - with Ellis Amdur

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2022/4/5/17/107e1931-84e0-44ae-9f8d-fae3b353f12e_map_176.mp3

Facing someone who is faster than you are seems impossible to survive, but speed can be countered. We can train to be fast ourselves, but there will always be someone faster. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 176: How Do You Handle a Fast Opponent? - With Steven Scott

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Reg shares his background with live weapons training and how it helped him improve his aikido and both self-defense and self-protection skills.﻿For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG

Ep. 175: How Does Weapons Practice Improve Aikido? - with Reg Sakamoto

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It is commonly believed and stated that aikido is about conflict management. Is it true and does aikido training really cover conflict management skills?There is more to it than meets the eye. For more information about Spirit Aikido Online:http://spiritaikido.com/spiritaikidoonline Paypal tipjar:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=B6AX94H6N4HBG