by aikidogyodokan.com | Jun 24, 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo
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...
by aikidogyodokan.com | 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...
by aikidogyodokan.com | 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...
by aikidogyodokan.com | 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...
by aikidogyodokan.com | 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...
by aikidogyodokan.com | 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...
