The Aiki Dojo Podcast

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - The Role of Break Fall Training in Aikido In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss the role of break fall or tobi ukemi (飛び受け身) in Aikido training. Tobi means “to fly” and ukemi means “to accept with your body.” Over the last 50+ years break fall ukemi has really evolved. In the past, break fall ukemi was reserved for higher level students. Today, with the...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Remembering Your Teacher In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss the importance of remembering one’s teachers. On a certain level, remembering one’s teachers is an act of gratitude. There is a power that comes with remembering our teachers. Furuya Sensei often talked about something “spiritual capital.” Spiritual capital is the resource that we draw upon to giv...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - An Interview With David Ito Sensei In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, Santiago Almaraz Garcia turns the tables on David Ito Sensei and interviews him. This interview was conducted in November of 2022 before Ito Sensei was promoted to 6th Dan. Find out more about Ito Sensei and what it was like starting Aikido over 30 years ago in this episode of the Aiki Dojo Podcast...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Aikido and Spirituality In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss Aikido and the role spirituality plays in its practice. Aikido is not a religion, a dojo is not a church and the teacher is not a guru. However, Aikido does have a heavy spiritual component. People often think that Aikido is more of a spiritual martial art because there is no competition. It is tru...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - How to Handle Injuries In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss injuries in Aikido training. At some point or another, every person will experience an injury in their Aikido training. Injuries occur because of one or a combination of three factors: nage error, uke error or teacher error. Injuries are one of the greatest teachers in our training because, often ti...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - An Interview with Didier Boyet Shihan Part TWO This is the part two of Ito Sensei's interview with Didier Boyet Shihan. Boyet Shihan is ranked Aikido 7th Dan and Iaido 6th Dan. Boyet Shihan started Aikido in 1971 and studied at Hombu Dojo from 1977-2016 and was a long time student of T.K. Chiba Sensei. In this over 51 years of experiences he brings an interesting perspectiv...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - An Interview with Didier Boyet Shihan Part 1 In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, Ito Sensei interviews Didier Boyet Shihan. Boyet Shihan is ranked Aikido 7th Dan and Iaido 6th Dan. Boyet Shihan started Aikido in 1971 and studied at Hombu Dojo from 1977-2016 and was a long time student of T.K. Chiba Sensei. In this over 51 years of experiences he brings an interesting...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - What are the Best Qualities of a Martial Artist? In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss which qualities are the best for martial artists. If you could only give a student one or two traits, which traits would you choose? Some might choose six pack abs while others would choose incredible strength. Ito Sensei would only choose determination. The Aiki Dojo Podca...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Is Aikido Real Budo? In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discusses the concept of Aikido and Budo. Many think people think that for something to be a true Budo art that it has to involve killing and with that definition Aikido does not qualify. Ito Sensei discusses what it means to be “Budo” and how Aikido is in fact Budo. Budo is not the “art of killing” but rathe...

In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, Ito Sensei and Glenn Yoshida Sensei from Aikido Renshinkan Hawaii discuss authenticity in Aikido. Many think that to be authentic the attacks and the techniques need to be contemporary. Ito Sensei and Yoshida Sensei debate this theory and discuss how authenticity is really in the intention. The Aiki Dojo Podcast goal is to translate traditional Aikido and...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - An Interview With Glenn Yoshida, Aikido 7th Dan In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, Ito Sensei interviews Glenn Yoshida Sensei from Aikido Renshinkan Hawaii. Yoshida Sensei started Aikido in the 1960s and is 7th Dan. In his youth, he spent over a decade training at Hombu Dojo. Over his 60+ years of Aikido training, Yoshida Sensei has had the privilege of studying with...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - The Two Most Challenging Ranks: 3rd Kyu & 3rd Dan In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, discuss the phenomenon where students quit training at either 3rd Kyu or 3rd Dan. Typically, people tend to quit training around 3rd Kyu or 3rd Dan. This is because of doubt. 3rd Kyu students have been training for a few years and the movement hasn’t become second nature which ma...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Convincing People About Aikido In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we answer a listener question about how to convince other people about Aikido. For one reason or another, Aikido’s effectiveness and validity as a martial art comes into question. For beginners, defending Aikido is a difficult argument to debate. In this episode, Ito Sensei discusses how he deals with...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - An interview with Andrew Blevins Sensei from Kiryu Aikido In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we interview Andrew Blevins Sensei of Kiryu Aikido. Blevins Sensei has been doing Aikido since 1985 and has studied many different styles of Aikido including Iwama style and Tomiki style and was the Chief Instructor at Nippon-kan for many years. Blevins Sensei brings over 37...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - The Difference Between Customers and Students In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss the difference between being a student and being a customer. Having a student’s mindset is about educating oneself while the customer’s mindset is transactional. The student thinks about learning and improving themselves. The customer wants to get something for their money. Ho...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - What does it mean to be a good teacher? In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss the teacher and what it means to be considered “good.” Does good mean having lots of students? Does good mean being solely technically proficient? In the past, a teachers only qualification used to be in how strict they were. Does that hold true today? If not, then what makes someon...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Should Teachers Hit Their Students? In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we answer another listener question. This question deals with teachers and whether or not they should hit their students as a tool to improve their learning ability or for any other reason. Ito Sensei weighs in on this controversial topic. The Aiki Dojo Podcast goal is to translate traditional Aik...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Teaching Philosophies In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we answer a listener question about teaching philosophies and teaching at other dojos. The Aiki Dojo Podcast goal is to translate traditional Aikido and traditional martial arts training into the modern world. The podcast is hosted by David Ito Sensei who is the Chief Instructor of the Aikido Center of Los Ange...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Looking Back on 2021 In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we look back on not only 2021 but the entire pandemic and discuss how things have changed. This is our 14th episode and season 1 finale. We look forward to 2022 and many more episodes. The Aiki Dojo Podcast goal is to translate traditional Aikido and traditional martial arts training into the modern world. The p...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - The Art of Peace vs. The Art of War In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we again discuss a topic presented by a listener. This listener wants to understand how one should reconcile O’Sensei’s philosophy of peace and non-violence with certain Aikido techniques and movements which seem aggressive and contrary to his philosophies. Ito Sensei gives his take on what “peace...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - The Art of Being a Student In this week’s episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, we discuss another topic presented from a listener. Listener Chris asks, “What does it mean to be a student in a traditional art.” Ito Sensei explains that being a student is an art in and of itself. He discusses that to be thought of as a “good” student requires that the student not only be committ...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Aikido in Your Daily Life This episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast answers a listener question. Listener Miriam references a passage from Furuya Sensei’s book Kodo: "Today, in our fast-paced world, I think students of martial arts need to plunge deeper into their training. It is not that training needs to be more intense, but that training should pervade our whole lives.” Miri...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Learning Traditionally in Modern Times This episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast deals with the conundrum of training in a traditional martial art in the modern day. Ito Sensei’s view is that there is no distinction between the student of the past and the student of the present. The teachers of old gave the student little information while the student of today has a lot of info...

In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast we discusses a question from one of our viewers. She asks, “Could you talk about body (physical) mind and spirit in Aikido? Focused more on back in the old days about how samurai took care of themselves and stayed prepared for war and chaos.” Thus, the basic answer is really more about the mindset that a warrior has which keeps them prepared and sharp at al...

The Aiki Dojo Podcast - Weapons Training in Aikido In this episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast, Ito Sensei discusses weapons training in Aikido. Aikido movement, timing and spacing are based upon weapon’s movement, timing and spacing. Logically it would seem that weapons proficiency is required in Aikido. But, is that true? Watch or listen and make a decision for yourself. The Aiki Dojo Podcast goal...