orit shilon

Was there a particular actor or movie that got you started with martial arts? Here are some that came to mind, in no particular order or...

At the end of class, after bowing out, students should remain in seiza until Sensei has left the mat. Well…. ‘Should’ if that’s part of...

What’s your style?

I’m a big fan of Master Ken, the creator of the martial art Ameri-Do-Te. I admire the no BS, uncomplicated, straightforward approach....

Traditional: My favorite way to get thrown Brutal: My least favorite way to get thrown Covid-19: Long distance relationships Ki...

On the subject of “Everyone you train with has something to teach you” which I brought up last week... Yes, that also includes the one...

In case some of us forgot this with the excitement and eagerness to be back training. Everyone you train with has something to teach you,...

And might be thinking too much!

I should have practiced my bokken and jo during the COVID break, I know. Now it feels so awkward.

Ushiro ryote dori, kokyuho, ki no nagare… Sure!!!... What the hell???.... Which leg goes where? What direction do I turn to? Why are my...

I’m not a big believer in the benefits of fitness so going back on the mat for the first time after almost a year and a half of total...

As a petite person, taking a big person’s balance is one of the biggest challenges I faced, and now, right before I go back training, it...

Went over pinning and controlling techniques. In two weeks I’ll be able to go back on the mat and while I’m a little concerned about all...

frus·tra·tion frəˈstrāSH(ə)n noun The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of the inability to change or achieve...

Basic Aikido Techniques Ikkyo - First Teaching: Elbow control. Leveraging uke to the ground to an arm pin by controlling elbow and wrist....

Full disclosure, I’m in Aikido for the Hakama! Just got my 2nd COVID vaccine shot and I’m starting to think about going back on the mat....

I listen, I get it, I visualize myself blending with an attacker's movements and controlling their actions, deflecting their force...

A friend recently told me that while social distancing she used to practice Aikido with their dog, a huge Bernese Mountain Dog, and he...

It seems like soon I’ll be able to go back on the mat. Lately I’ve been thinking about all sorts of things I’ve managed to forget in the...

Daniel Brasse Sensei, from Aikido By the Bay, recently wrote about the saying “practice makes perfect”, and how he thought this idea is...

"The founder said that the key to effective hip work was in the legs...this means the hips cannot be stable unless the legs are steady....