.: Aikido Top Related Articles
1). An Inside Look At Aikido. Is It The Right Martial Art For You?
Over the last number of years aikido has gained large amounts of popularity… So is it the martial art for you? Well let’s look at aikido in a little more detail to find out…
Aikido means “way of harmony of ki”. It was developed by Morihei Ushiba over the period of the 1930s to the 1960s. The name “Aikdio” comes from three Japanese words:
Ai – union/harmony.
Article tags: aikido, aikido classes, aikido schools, learn aikido
2). Go Where Your Energy is Strong
"Keep your center and you’ll know which way you have to go."
– Terry Dobson, aikidoist and author, Aikido In Everyday Life
I had undertaken a project that I was beginning to feel was beyond my personal resources to accomplish. I had asked a friend and colleague if I might organize a workshop in the New England area that he would teach. After many months of collecting information, I was at the point of choosing and committing to a conference center.
Article tags: saying no, assertiveness, ki, chi, inner voice, intuition, personal energy, energy, peace of mind, aikido, martial arts, gifts, unexpected gifts, personal power, centering, approval, approval-seeking
3). Advocate Respectfully
This is one of a series of brief articles on holding difficult conversations. In earlier issues of Ki Moments, I suggested ways to open communications that create mutual respect; we talked about the importance of knowing your purpose for the conversation; and we added Inquiry and Curiosity to our conversational toolbox. Here the topic is Advocacy.
Advocacy is the flip side of Inquiry – the opportunity that you open for yourself to tell your story.
Article tags: assertiveness, communication skills, holding difficult conversations, respect, advocacy, managing emotions, anger management, conflict management, aikido
4). Centering Defined: What, How and Why?
What is center? How do you choose to be centered, and why? In what ways can you develop a strong center?
As a student and instructor of the Japanese martial art Aikido, and as a professional speaker and trainer, I often present on this topic and, in addition, have made centering a life practice. I say practice, because that is what it takes to access the Center State on purpose.
Article tags: centering, how to center oneself, aikido, managing emotions, anger management, deep breathing, conflict management, communication skills
5). Thank You Very Much – Turning Problems Into Gifts
I am a martial artist and black belt in aikido, a practice that continues to teach me about life, both on and off the mat. For example, at the end of each aikido practice, I express gratitude to my partners by bowing and saying: "Thank you very much." I've found over the years that sometimes I have obvious reasons to say thank you - working with that person was exhilarating and fun.
Article tags: peace of mind, gratitude, attitude, aikido, practice, martial arts, gifts, unexpected gifts, blessings, personal power, centering, being, presence
6). The Greatest Gift
"Go ahead, Judy, talk to your father. What do you want to say?" With these words offered by my favorite Aunt Mimi, I was given the greatest gift—the gift of myself.
Mimi and I had gone on an aunt-niece shopping adventure, and at age 15, I became the proud owner of my first mini-skirt. Upon seeing it, my dad hit the roof, and as usual, I was angry, scared, and tongue-tied.
Article tags: holding difficult conversation, assertiveness, family dynamics, holidays, christmas, gifts, self-awareness, centering, aikido, managing emotions, anger management, conflict management, communication skills
7). British Aikido Board National Nepotism Seminar 2004
The British Aikido Board
Disastrous National Nepotism Seminar 2004 – 99 Students
By Henry Ellis Co-author of Positive Aikido.
( BAB Founder member - now resigned )
For many years The British Aikido Board ( BAB ) have shown no interest what-so-ever in the true history of British Aikido, to be fair to the BAB, they have in the recent past shown a.
Article tags: aikido, budo, martialarts, kenshiroabbe, britishaikidoboard
8). A Gift of Energy
"When attack becomes dance, everything is seen as a gift of energy."
That sounds great, doesn't it?
Couldn't we all use a little more energy from time to time? I know I could. Right now, for instance, as I sit with a blanket over my shoulders, sipping lemon tea and hoping that the next coughing spasm is not as ferocious as the last two, I could use a gift of energy.
Article tags: energy, ki, aikido, center, acknowledge, conflict, embrace, acknowlege conflict, power, gift
9). Practice Makes Perfect: Changing Your Communication Habits One Step At a Time
We are what we do repeatedly,
Excellence, therefore, is not an act,
It is a habit.
-- Aristotle
The concept of practice applies to any skill that you want to cultivate. If you take up a new musical instrument, you will need to practice a while before you're ready to give your first concert. In Aikido, the martial art I study and teach, we get on the mat many times each week to practice and perfect our technique.
Article tags: practice, changing habits, difficult conversations, curiosity, aikido, conflict, effective communication
10). Managing My Resistance: Learning to Flow with What Life Offers
One of the things that interests me most about conflict is the tendency to resist it and the ways in which this resistance causes me to miss key moments, when I might respond with purpose and intention but do not. Resistance is a reactive habit. When I resist, I'm on automatic, and I fail to spot the opportunity to respond with the conscious engagement of being fully present.
Article tags: resistance, conflict, managing emotions, life purpose, aikido, workplace conflict, creating a positive environment
11). Breathing: The Way Back to Balance
“If you don’t like what’s happening in your life, change your mind.”
This brief quotation from the Dalai Lama reminds me that my experience of life changes as I do. As I change, I change the way I influence - and am influenced by - my surroundings.
How are you inventing your life today? How does the way you think affect your actions? And how might you become more aware of the process?
A centering breath is a place to start.
Article tags: deep breathing, centering, aikido, managing emotions, anger management, conflict management, communication skills, life skills
12). Holiday "Ki" Moments: Choosing Your Best Self
"I like to think of myself as an artist, and my life is my greatest work of art. Every moment is a moment of creation, and each moment of creation contains infinite possibilities. I can do things the way I've always done them, or I can look at all the different alternatives, and try something new and different and potentially more rewarding. Every moment presents a new opportunity and a new decision.
Article tags: holidays, christmas, gifts, self-awareness, centering, aikido, managing emotions, anger management, deep breathing, conflict management, communication skills
13). Conflict Mistakes
One of the questions I receive most often from my newsletter subscribers is what do I do when I've "blown it?" As one good friend said: "I forgot all the great ways I know to address a conflict. I reprimanded an employee by basically attacking her character. I did apologize, and, thankfully, she is not quitting. But things feel awkward, and I'm wondering if there's something I can do to help the situation besides apologize.
Article tags: conflict, making mistakes, apologizing, managing employees, aikido, workplace conflict, creating a positive work environment
14). The Exciting History of Judo
Judo is a very popular form of martial arts, and has even become an Olympic sport. Not many people know the exciting origins of this popular sport.
Article tags: judo, ju jitsu, martial arts, karate, kung fu, aikido
15). Knowing When I'm Not: 4 Suggestions for Developing a Strong Center
The more I practice centering, the more I realize that as important as it is to be able to identify and access the centered state, it is equally important to be able to know when I'm NOT centered. Otherwise, how do I choose?
When I'm centered I'm in control of my behavior. Centered action is on purpose and by choice. Uncentered action is reactive and out of control, and I end up looking back with regret.
Article tags: centering, the centered state, how to center oneself, aikido, self-awareness, managing emotions, anger management, deep breathing, conflict management, communication skills