Seminar: Benefit Seminar for Tood Martin in Florence, MA 8/16
Posted 7/17/2008 10:30am [from Jun Akiyama]
There will be a benefit seminar for Todd Martin sensei (5th dan) at Aikido of Northampton on Saturday, August 16th from 10am-4pm. The featured instructors will be Yoshimitsu Yamada sensei (8th dan), Benjamin Pincus sensei (5th dan), Skip Chapman sensei (5th dan), and Vu Ha sensei (5th dan). For more informaion, please contact dopacem@yahoo.com.

Event: Aikido and Zen Art with John Stevens, Phila. PA area, 10/2-10/5
Posted 7/15/2008 3:58pm [from Gary Ohama]
Two days of Classical Aikido training followed by two days of Japanese Zen Art Calligraphy Exhibit/Sale will be held Oct.2-5, 2008 in the Philadelphia, PA area. John Stevens will instruct and curate this event. A workshop on Zen brush calligraphy and a special tour of Nakashima Woodworkers are part of the program. For info contact homeikandojo@aol.com.

Seminar: 4th AikidoNZ Friendship Seminar Auckland 3rd August 2008
Posted 7/15/2008 1:11pm [from Dunken Francis]
4th Friendship seminar Auckland Sunday Aug 3rd 9am to 4.30pm North Shore Music Theatre, Recreation Drive, Birkenhead $15 for all five sessions!! Buffet Lunch included!! INSTRUCTORS: Mike Standford 7th dan, Gail Eder 4th dan, Tony Schaufelberger 4th dan, Dianne Haynes 5th dan, Junichi Nishimura 6th dan. ALL WELCOME! Contact Graham gbapromo@wave.co.nz or 09 573 6217 for bookings. Limited availability so strictly first come first served basis.

Article: "HCMC Hosts 50th Anniversary of Aikido"
Posted 7/14/2008 9:18am [from Jun Akiyama]
This article entitled "HCMC Hosts 50th Anniversary of Aikido" lets us know that Ho Chi Minh City Aikido Club in Vietnam has hosted a 50th anniversary event to ""review the achievements and contributions of Japanese martial art Aikido over the last half century since it was first introduced [in the country]." The event was said to have been organized to honor "Japanese founder Morihei Ueshiba and Vietnamese master Dan Thong Tri, who laid a foundation for the development of Aikido in the city."

YouTube: Kaz Tanahashi Relates Morihei Ueshiba Stories
Posted 7/11/2008 11:07am [from Jun Akiyama]
These three videos has Kaz Tanahashi, calligrapher, relating stories of his training with Morihei Ueshiba sensei: Video #1 Video #2 Video #3 More information on Kaz Tanahashi may be found on his website, www.brushmind.net.

Event: Westwind Center Grand Opening, July 19th, Maple Park IL
Posted 7/07/2008 1:13pm [from Michael R Hopkins]
It is truly a great pleasure to announce that the Westwind Center for Aikido and Traditional Japanese Weaponry will celebrate its grand opening on July 19th, 2008, and to invite all interested friends and aikidoka to celebrate the opening ceremony in beautiful, rural Maple Park, IL, in Kane County. This dojo is the culmination of a dream to create a retreat center available to all practitioners of aikido, regardless of affiliation or style, and to share traditional Japanese weapons styles with those who are interested. It is a space intended to break down barriers, and to foster friendship through shared training and camaraderie, especially in seminars and intensive workshops.

Article: "Getting a Black Belt in Creativity"
Posted 6/27/2008 10:47am [from Jun Akiyama]
This article entitled "Getting a Black Belt in Creativity" briefly describes Mark Bradford's research into connecting aikido and the design process. From the article: “You imagine having a brainstorm with all the idea flying out from one central point,” he says. “That is the same as an aikido situation - jiyuwaza - which features an individual defending themselves against multiple attackers. It's really trying to take the principals of aikido and applying them to the creative flow.”