I love our dojo. I would love to see more young members joining – just to nurture aikido and because I think aikido is valuable. I want people to come into our dojo and say, “Oh, I see this is…
Blog 5: On Teaching
I like being a student. I started the dojo so I could keep practicing. At Boston Aikikai, I like to consider that I have members of the dojo, rather than claiming them as my students. I’m providing you with a…
Blog 4: Tenkan Means to Change
We start class by doing a simple move – tenkan. One meaning of the word is “to change.” I like the idea of uke (the person who attacks) and nage (the person who responds to the attack) approaching each other…
Blog 3: Twice an Immigrant in the Dojo
After Tohei sensei died, I looked for a new sensei. I traveled to seminars. I went to summer camp. I tried to figure out where to go. I could have gone to practice with Yamada sensei, but New York seemed too big. Chiba sensei – I didn’t think I was ready for or wanted that kind of austerity. I wasn’t ready to move to Japan. Somehow, things led me to Boston, and I began to study with Kanai sensei.
Blog 2: Tohei Sensei’s Most Important Lesson Off the Mat: “Wake Up!”
Tohei sensei was so serious. He was very rigid but in a (mostly) good sense. One time, in an interview, someone asked him if he liked Japan or America more. He answered, “When I eat rice, I like rice.” He always talked in that cryptic way.
Blog 1: Finding a Home on the Mat
My first experience doing aikido was in fourth grade. There was a Vietnamese guy in Lubbock, Texas, who was teaching. I got good at taking falls. I was the only kid in a group of these adult students. But then the TV show, Shogun, came out.
Mission Statement
Boston Aikikai is a diverse community dojo. We train for the purpose of self-cultivation; whether an individual’s reason for studying aikido be self-defense or self-improvement, we work towards these goals by developing awareness. We seek to foster physical and mental…
Dojo Etiquette
Aikido etiquette remains deeply influenced by traditional Japanese martial arts values (budo). A centerpiece is Rei, which means “appreciation and respect.”