Budo and Thoughts

Initial Steps in Aikido Eighth Keiko 軟酥鴨卵法 nanso One of my most cherished memories from the dojo in Kyoto, is the special feeling I had just before the end of each aikido class, when we used to sit for a few minutes, and practice an ancient meditation method called nanso . Nanso helps us to relax our body and mind. It is said, that it can relieve us from pain and that it helps to overcome physical or emotional difficulties. As well as I know, nanso meditation is not part of aikido classes in most dojos in the world. Perhaps it is something unique to my old sensei's dojo in Kyoto where I began my aikido training in the year 1992 and practiced there until my return to Israel in 1999. As I found nanso significantly helpful and pleasant, it was just natural for me to continue practicing it at the end of each class also here at Masatake Dojo in Rehovot. About 300 years ago, lived in Japan a zen -buddhist monk called Hakuin . He is one of the most important and in

Initial Steps in Aikido Seventh Keiko ma 間 - ma In Japanese, the word ma  means gap, space between things, room and interval. Even in our most basic training, we pay attention to the distance between us and our partner. 間合 - maai Making adjustments and maintaining safe distance, is called maai . The ai  in maai  is the same ai  as in aikido (合氣道), and it means to fit or to harmonize. 隙間 - sukima An opening - a moment of lack of defence or lack of attention. Maai between tori and uke is an important subject for our training. Already from our very first aikido class, we learn to recognize and to maintain correct maai. The term " maai " is originated in Japan's traditional martial arts. In the past, recognizing an opening in the opponent's defence or manipulating him in order to create such an opening was a matter of life or death. Such an opening sometimes lasts for a split of a second. It is an opportunity that is very easy to miss, u