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...

From Tanabe to Ealing

May 1, 2024 | Ivan Melo

The cultural and historical context of Aikido and Gyodokan's lineage. Originally posted 31.03.2024Created in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba, one of the highest exponents of martial arts, Aikido is a deeply Japanese art. It sounds obvious, but to appreciate what that...