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In aikido practice with the jo (short staff), an awase is a sequence of moves and countermoves designed to be practiced by a pair of partners in a continuous loop in order to cultivate the state of flow known as … Read more

Dean Gloster is approaching his seven-year anniversary at the Aiki Arts Center dojo. His checkered past includes being a law clerk to two Supreme Court Justices, being a lawyer for several decades, and then turning to write stories for young … Read more

In aikido partner practice, a pair of partners takes turns playing the roles of nage (the person who throws or pins an attacker) and uke (the person who provides an attack for the nage to work with). In this video, … Read more

Aiki Arts Center instructor Alan Hodges Sensei demonstrates our third jo kata, with Azzia Walker Sensei joining to show how the kata looks when practiced with a partner. We practice three different jo kata in our dojo; you can see … Read more

In this instructional video, Azzia Walker Sensei demonstrates our first 22-move jo kata. The video was directed, filmed, and edited by Steve Tomich Sensei. That’s Alan Hodges Sensei playing the role of Azzia Sensei’s primary attacker. Everyone’s wearing masks because … Read more

This interview with senior Aiki Arts Center instructor Nick Walker Sensei was conducted by Azzia Walker Sensei in Summer 2020. What was your life like before starting aikido? I was 12 years old when I started my aikido training. I … Read more

Azzia Walker Sensei is Dojo Manager at the Aiki Arts Center, and teaches our Friday evening classes. This Q&A with Azzia Sensei is part of a series of interviews with the Aiki Arts Center yudansha (black belts). How did you … Read more

This Q&A with Joy Sensei is part of a series of interviews with the Aiki Arts Center yudansha (black belts). How did you get started with aikido? In 2009-2010 I was in a yearlong Integral Coach certification program. The methodology … Read more

Alan Hodges Sensei is a longtime aikido practitioner and a member of the Aiki Arts Center instructor team. This Q&A with Alan Sensei is part of a series of interviews with the Aiki Arts Center yudansha (black belts). How did … Read more

Steve Tomich Sensei is a longtime aikido practitioner a member of the Aiki Arts Center instructor team. This Q&A with Steve Sensei is part of a series of interviews with the Aiki Arts Center yudansha (black belts). How did you … Read more

Aiki Arts Center instructors Alan Hodges Sensei and Steve Tomich Sensei created this instructional video on the second 22-move jo kata we practice in our dojo. That’s Alan Sensei demonstrating the kata, and Steve Sensei attacking him during the partner … Read more

By Joy Reichart Sensei Commitments Commitments are always tested. Have you found that? Stuff we promise to ourselves and to other people—resolutions, relationships, recovery, things that don’t start with “r”—are constantly challenged, called into question. When they are, we’re often … Read more

By Joy Reichart Sensei I’ll tell you right now, friends, it’s always going to be something. Something that scares you, confuses you, confounds you, discourages you. Rolls, tests, freestyles, high falls. Relationships, rules, expectations, misunderstandings. Kicks, weapons, bows. Working with … Read more

This interview with Nick Walker Sensei was conducted by Monika Broecker, founder of the Center for Personal Growth, in February 2011. MB: What is your vision for your Aikido dojo? NW: Aikido has enormous potential as a transformative practice of … Read more