by aikidogyodokan.com | Sep 23, 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo
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,...
by aikidogyodokan.com | Sep 18, 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo
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...
by aikidogyodokan.com | Jul 5, 2026 | Blog, Ivan Melo
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...
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 | Oct 10, 2024 | Ivan Melo
A reflection, written by Ivan Melo, September 2024 As we return to training after our short summer break, with great memories and sharpened skills from the Aikido of London summer camp, we can’t help but to also remember it’s been a year since Gyodokan opened its...
