Southland Aikido

Monterey Park is about 9 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. It would be an extreme copout if we directed you there since the food scene is fairly well documented. But if you’re looking to sta...

https://southlandaikido.org/2018/02/22/the-unofficial-southland-aikido-out-of-towners-guide-to-monterey-park/

Part I of this series described some the psychological benefits of training in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. This article will focus on the relationship between Aikido and the practice of m...

https://southlandaikido.org/2016/10/27/the-transformational-journey-of-aikido-part-ii/

(Authored by Dr. James Graves and originally published in the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association newsletter, Analyze This!) “Our enlightened ancestors developed true budo based on hum...

https://southlandaikido.org/2016/07/18/the-transformational-journey-of-aikido/

March was a busy month, mainly preparing for and hosting a weekend seminar with guest instructor, Harvey Konigsberg Shihan. The timing of the seminar was a little strange, since we agreed on the ...

https://southlandaikido.org/2016/04/28/reflections-on-training/

One Saturday morning in late December I checked the dojo mailbox and found a package addressed to me. The package contained a book self-published by Tom Collings. Tom and I don’t know each othe...

https://southlandaikido.org/2016/02/09/review-of-searching-for-osensei-by-tom-collings/

There is a lot of chatter these days in the Aikido community (at least in the US) about the declining membership and challenges of recruiting new students for many Aikido dojo. There seem to be a...

https://southlandaikido.org/2016/01/14/the-future-of-aikido-in-a-changing-world/

December is a month for celebration but also a time for reflection on the challenges and accomplishments of the past year. What a year it has been for Southland Aikido. It has been almost exactly...

https://southlandaikido.org/2015/12/14/year-end-reflections-and-goals/

In my day job as a clinical psychologist I am reminded often of the importance of mindfulness meditation practice in fostering mental and emotional well-being. Mindfulness practice as an interven...

https://southlandaikido.org/2015/11/10/aikido-is-mindfulness-in-motion/

Some casual observers of Aikido demonstrations launch the criticism that it looks choreographed. In fact, this is not usually the case in such demonstrations. The harmonious flow between attacker...

https://southlandaikido.org/2015/09/20/the-art-of-ukemi/

I recently ran across a documentary video about the experience of uchideshi (live-in students) in the Iwama Dojo when Morihiro Saito Sensei was still alive and teaching there. Watching the video...

https://southlandaikido.org/2015/08/01/uchideshi-experience-at-iwama-dojo/