Ki to the City

It's been a puzzling past few weeks. Trying to figure out how to verbally and phonetically represent this most recent passage of time has presented quite a perplexing challenge. I feel like almost a totally different person since becoming raw vegan again . This new regimen has seemingly positively shifted my already pendulous, pivot-prone perspective. I promise I'm not trying to persuade anyone to...

Last solo episode, I attempted to elucidate the ways in which my strict diet informs my Aikido practice (and mood). I also tried to clarify how the catalyst for my current quasi-monk-like state is not a quirk of my inner character, but an unfortunate superficial affliction fostered by intense distrust of the pharmaceutical industrial complex. I realize that episode was quite personal, and I apolog...

On this episode of Ki to the City, I was blessed to have an absolutely extraordinary conversation with Dennis Kyriakos. I first met Dennis back in 2002, at the very beginning of my Aikido journey, and it’s due to a wondrous synchronicity that our paths have reconnected recently. But, I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, so please, listen to the episode for more details of that striking coi...

Honestly, it’s not easy to write exclusively about Aikido. I really don't know what to say sometimes. What can I possibly contribute to such an impressive corpus of inspirational literature? Especially after personally speaking with so many brilliant minds, and reading so much of the illuminating work written about this profound art… Really, what can I add? I'm clearly not a motivational speaker -...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Laurin Herr and Bob Noha, two of the esteemed co-authors behind the captivating book, Aikido: The Art of Transformation: The Life and Teachings of Robert Nadeau Sensei (click link for more info) Robert Nadeau Shihan, is an extraordinary teacher (I wish I would’ve have discovered years ago) whose work extends far beyond the mat into the very aren...

I have some exciting news to announce. An extraordinary development occurred in my strange little story… Rev. Koichi Barrish has agreed to teach me Chinkon. Chinkon, meaning "pacifying the soul" or "calming the spirit," is an ancient Shinto practice aimed at gathering scattered aspects of one's spiritual essence back within the center of the body. This mysterious process offers a way to achieve a...

As “Ki to the City” approaches the six month mark, I've been reflecting, sifting through insights gleaned from conversing with the luminaries I've had the pleasure of engaging with. Personally, it's been a profoundly positive and metaphysically enriching experience for me, so far. And I sincerely hope to continue for as long as humanly possible. I've absorbed more about the intricate history and m...

In my latest discussion with Kayla Feder Sensei, Chief Instructor at Aikido of Berkeley, I had the privilege of delving into the heart of this martial art in a profound way. From the very beginning of our conversation, as I observed Kayla Sensei sitting in her serene garden, the topic of "grounding" or "earthing" immediately came up. She spoke about the ancient wisdom of connecting with Mother Ear...

In this captivating return conversation with Reverend Koichi Barrish, we delve further into concepts of energy, interconnectedness, and the metaphysical underpinnings of Aikido. We begin with a fascinating discussion about the auspicious day of recording (Summer Solstice) as a "pivot point" in the annual solar cycle. Reverend Barrish explains that just as the sun's energy begins to shift from incr...

I want to start this episode off by reading a quote from Masahisa Goi, the founder of Byakko Shinko Kai, from his book 'The Future of Mankind,' translated by Fumi Johns, Byakko Press, 1985. “The world is facing an age being placed at the crossroads of either manifesting destruction or heaven on earth. We must clearly recognize this fact. A divine message is being revealed to all spiritualists—the...

On this episode of Ki to the City, I had the pleasure of speaking with Quentin Cooke, an Aikido sensei from Cambridge, UK. You can link to his dojo here: Dojo link Cooke Sensei started Aikido for Daily Life about 17 years ago with his brother, Piers. Their goal was to create a non-hierarchical organization that removed the politics often found in traditional martial arts, focusing instead on how A...

Last Wednesday, I was honored to be a guest on the Aeon Byte podcast. If you’d like to hear that episode, please click this link: Aeon Byte . There’s also a video up on Youtube (link) - if you’d like to see how excessively I talk with my hands and never seem to look in the right spot / at the webcam. (Man, “webcam” is such an insidious word if you stop to consider the insectile connotation.) Aeon...

On this episode of Ki to the City, I had the immense honor of speaking with Reverend Koichi Barrish. Reverend Barrish is not only an experienced Aikido sensei but also a licensed Shinto priest, holding the significant rank of Guji (High Priest). He is notable for being one of the first non-Japanese people to become a licensed priest in Jinja Shinto (Shrine Shinto). I highly recommend checking out...

This episode of Ki to the City features a conversation with Simon Cox, Kung Fu teacher and Research Fellow at Esalen Institute, exploring (what else?) the intersection of Western esoteric traditions and Eastern mystic martial arts. Simon trained for six years at a Taoist monastery in Wudang, China, studying Qigong, Kung Fu, Neidan, and Taoist alchemy. (He’s also performed with Jackie Chan and Jet...

The real AI… That was, originally, going to be the name of this project—"The real AI"—but I decided against it because, ultimately, I don't want to come across as contentious. “Ki to the City” more accurately indicates my mission. I really just want to bring more ki to the city, promote my dojo, promote Aikido… And, anyway, I can’t claim to profess to know what’s “real” or what isn’t. I also don't...

I'm a little nervous… In two weeks I'm gonna be going on a podcast—a pretty popular para-political podcast—to talk about this project: Ki to the City. This podcast I'm gonna be going on is right up my alley, in terms of subject matter. You see, I've always been interested in “the occult”—although I like to refer to it as “the metaphysical” so it doesn't sound like I'm trying to be spooky. I'm not...

On this episode of Ki to the City (re-issued because I figured out how to use Substack better) you'll hear a mind-blowing conversation with Don Dickie . Don brings a rich and diverse background to his Aikido practice, drawing insights from cognitive neuroscience, kinesiology, Taekwondo, and Tibetan Buddhist meditation . This blend of experience has significantly enhanced his Aikido, particularly i...

and what an encouraging and captivating conversation it was… Richard Moon Sensei, with over 55 years of Aikido experience, starting circa summer of love San Francisco (I forgot to ask if they really had flowers in their hair… I’m so jealous…) delves deep into the magi-poetic meaning behind the art. We ruminated on the "the floating bridge of heaven," explored Takemusu Aiki, and Moon Sensei also ge...

I found another reason why I’m so fascinated by O Sensei’s life story, besides the fact that he devised the metaphysical fitness regimen I’m pleasantly addicted to. He belonged to the generation that’s influenced my life the most dramatically. I mean, literally dramatically—the generation that laid the bricolage for the swirling psycho-dramaturgic escapades that constitute my semiliterate cybernet...

If you’d like to learn more about Bjorn’s work, and I promise you will once you’ve listened to our conversation, check out his website here: Bjorn Saw And don’t hesitate to get in touch with him. Especially if you’re into exploring cross-cultural spirituality from an experiential place. He’s got a wealth of wisdom. Get full access to Ki to the City at kitothecity.substack.com/subscribe

I’ll admit, sometimes I feel like I can identify more with Deguchi than O Sensei. My (staying vague for now) childhood pain also bled me to feel the urge to “impact society” through adopting a trickster persona. So, I know how that feels. I might’ve actually been possessed by a coyote spirit—who knows? I'm not saying it’s a bad thing—pop-culture shamanism—I’m not ashamed of my past; I'm just makin...

Lia Suzuki Shihan is the chief instructor at Aikido Kenkyukai International USA , a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching people’s lives through the practice of Aikido, The Art of Peace. She also hosts a very popular video series called “the virtual dojo” which you can see here on her Youtube channel I’m not going to give away too much of what we talked about - but it was very encouraging...

Just had this wonderful conversation with Corky Quakenbush (and I never use the word wonderful.) Hope you can take the time to check it out. If Corky’s words inspired you as much as they did me, here are some of his links so you can see what he’s up to at his Aiki lab: Corky's Youtube channel Corky's dojo Get full access to Ki to the City at kitothecity.substack.com/subscribe

I still want to write that book about “Aikido as theurgy,” but I'm being overly pragmatic. I feel like there’s probably only 11 people in the world who would actually want to read it, and alas, sadly, I fled long ago from academia, so I'm never going to get a grant or whatever magic academics conjure up that enables them to write about such obscure and interesting topics. Can you tell I’m a little...

If it wasn’t for Aikido, I don’t know what I’d do with myself. I finally did my taxes. Let’s just say I owe more than I have, and that’s not much. I’m a bit monkish, got a little Yamabushi in me, so I’m not really too bothered by the poverty—it’s the fact of how much of that money goes to funding the military behemoth that continues to commit global atrocities in the name of “freedom.” But, hey, a...