Blog

Articles written by Ivan Melo and Cathy Okada. Most articles are also available in português and español.

Aikido Is For Everyone*

by aikidogyodokan.com | 26 September 2026 | Blog, Cathy Okada | 0 Comments

Return to previous articles Written by Cathy Okada *Terms and Conditions Inclusion and accessibility can be a wonderful and fruitful thing. Before starting the dojo, I worked in schools for over a decade and I became very used to creating music lessons where everyone...

Iron Wrapped in Cotton

by aikidogyodokan.com | 23 September 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo | 0 Comments

Return to previous articles. Written by Ivan Melo For a while, I had been wanting to change the calligraphy piece in the dojo’s kamiza. The first one, Kenshō (見性), stayed on display for more than two years. I cannot say exactly what was driving me to change the piece,...

Mitsuzuka Takeshi: A Centenary Tribute

by aikidogyodokan.com | 18 September 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo | 0 Comments

Return to previous articles. Remembering a Direct Student of Nakayama Hakudō Editor’s note: This article has been published to mark the centenary of Mitsuzuka Takeshi’s birth (1926–2008). It is based on a written interview graciously provided by his son, Mitsuzuka...

Two weeks in Aikido

by aikidogyodokan.com | 11 August 2026 | Blog | 0 Comments

See previous articles TWO WEEKS IN AIKIDO- REFLECTIONS FROM A NEW STUDENT by Clara Mainardi Why Aikido? Cathy sensei asked me on my first ever class, and I must admit I felt pretty embarrassed to say I knew absolutely nothing about it or any other martial art.In the...

Budo in the Age of Tourism

by aikidogyodokan.com | 5 July 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo | 0 Comments

See previous articles BUDO IN THE AGE OF TOURISM: The Tourist and the Pilgrim in Aikido Training Written by Ivan Melo Recently, I was watching a conversation between philosophers on YouTube. The discussion revolved around the loss of the sacred in everyday life in the...

Kata: The Book of the Body

by aikidogyodokan.com | 24 June 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo | 0 Comments

See previous articles Written by Ivan Melo In the society we live in today, writing occupies a central place in the transmission of ideas. Books, articles, manuals, and documents are important ways of preserving and transmitting knowledge. But no one truly learns...

What Does it Mean to be a Martial Artist?

Jun 18, 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo

Pictured: Yoshitsune vs Benkei View previous articles. By Ivan Melo There is a difference between practising a martial art and being a martial artist. Someone may train techniques, repeat forms, memorise sequences, and still fail to embrace the deeper problems that...

Aikidoka and the AI Hotties

Feb 14, 2026 | Blog, Cathy Okada

View previous articles. My thoughts in the run up to International Women's Day Written by Cathy Okada At Aikido of London the women have it good and I know it. Some of the junior members of the dojo are starting to realise it too, after attending external seminars and...

The Purpose of Aikido

Dec 11, 2025 | Blog, Cathy Okada

An end-of-year reflection, by Cathy Okada “I felt more out of control.” A student had just provided the right kind of energy as uke to her training partner, no pulling back and no rushing ahead. As a result, she took some good ukemi and paradoxically was more in...

The “S” Word

Sep 12, 2025 | Blog, Cathy Okada

Written by Cathy Okada In the West (or at least in the UK) we all know what a sensei looks like; an elderly Asian man with a white beard. Mr Miyagi and Pai Mei spring to mind. And of course Ueshiba Morihei, O Sensei himself. People are so fixed on O Sensei's image...

Back on the Aikido Path

May 8, 2025 | Blog

Back on the Aikido Path: A Gyodokan student's reflection on returning to training after years away. Written by Pete Roythorne I’ve been in or around Aikido for close to 30 years now . In that time I’ve had a long absence from training. But even while exploring other...

No Beginning and No End

Mar 23, 2025 | Blog, Cathy Okada

Picture: Cathy Okada & Ivan Melo at Kōshōji in Uji, in 2023 on the anniversary of their Jukai ceremony. Written by Cathy Okada"Very great congratulations on your Jukai and really happy to join you on the Way without beginning or end!” A zen teacher and fellow...