Traditional and competitive martial arts approaches as dramatized in “The Karate Kid” claim positive effects on teen development but Michael E. Trulson was the first to study actual outcomes in relationship to confidence, aggression, and other social behaviors. Continue reading “The Karate Kid” and Initial Studies of Outcomes for Teens in the Martial Arts.
Monthly Archives: June 2014
Teaching What Aikido Teaches
A good class is the basis for building insight for development, but there are many aspects that could be the focus of instruction; instructors tend to focus on teaching how to do, how to move, how have more power, how to use less strength, etc. The focus can also be, What can we learn about ourselves on the mat? How, in the “doing” of aikido can we develop and explore meaning beyond the motions? Continue reading Teaching What Aikido Teaches
Breathing is a form of stretching…
As air enters the body your muscles and organs have to adjust to make room. If you are tense or in a rigid posture, deep breathing is not going to be comfortable because you are essentially squishing your internal organs to make room for air. Breathing is a great way of improving your level of relaxation and body alignment if you use how it feels to breathe as a guide for adjusting your body and releasing unnecessary tension. Continue reading Breathing is a form of stretching…
Gentleness and leadership in response to aggression…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq5TJsBmphs]
Anno Sensei conveys a seldom seen combination of qualities in his aikido. He maintains gentleness alongside a formidable presence of budo. Uke attacks with force and momentum and Anno Sensei takes care of the attacker as he leads him to the throw. Continue reading Gentleness and leadership in response to aggression…