My understanding of BALANCE is a feeling of centering and equality, where nothing is missing - just the perfect amount is there. A peaceful understanding of opposites in the exploration of boundaries, naturally arriving to the middle point - the neutral point within. A...

Think less. Feel more.

Practice daily simplification.

Let go of possessions you no longer need.

Follow your intuition and cultivate self-discipline.

Face your fears and practice stillness.

Be present. Be aware. Be you.

Seek self-alignment through daily training.

Keep your min...

There is a lot of discussion about the "effectiveness" of Aikido, especially when compared to other forms of martial arts. It seems to me that the focus of comparison is always regarding of what you can do to others from the point of reference of control and martial ap...

Long ago in Japan, there lived a young son of an emperor. The young man had just turned 17 and felt deeply that it was time for him to find a teacher of the martial arts for him to begin his training.

As the son of an emperor, he was entitled to choose any great master...

Sarasota, a beautiful city on the southwestern shores of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico, is located about an hour south of Tampa. It is home to Siesta Key, a pristine white-quartz crystal beach, voted number one of the “Top-10 Best Beaches in the United States.” Sarasota is...

A student monk was caught stealing at the temple. The other monks brought the matter to Bankei's attention to expel the thief from the community, but the master ignored the request. When the offending monk was caught stealing again, the other monks drew up a petition d...

Sharing a perspective on Aikido practice as a healing therapy is much needed in today's world. The purpose of Aikido training is the harmonization of the self with others and the world. Through purification breathing exercises and dynamic meditation or martial techniqu...

(The shogun's messengers tell Asano Naganori to commit suicide. Utagawa Kuniyasu, c. 1815.)

One of the most famous episodes in Japanese history is honoured on the traditional date of December 14th. It happened when Japan was ruled from Edo (now Tokyo) by the Tokugawa S...

On the eve of a great battle, Miyamoto Musashi noticed that the Daimyo (samurai lord) with whom he had taken service seemed unable to focus on the impending battle. Asked what was the matter, the daimyo told Musashi that an astrologer had predicted that he, the daimyo,...

With complete spontaneity, I would like to share a perspective on the cultivation of the state of mind known in martial arts practice as "Mushin" or "No-Mind". I feel that in order to find harmony, we must first experience "the void". In aikido, the practice of circula...