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Sensei

Jul 25

Why "Hamilton" Matters To The Dojo

Know that I love you all and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it ;)

57 views

Sensei

Jul 23

Sharon Dominguez Sensei Is My Representative In More Ways Than One

Pinellas County Aikikai stands firmly behind and in support of Sharon Dominguez Sensei and the United States Aikido Federation.

115 views

Sensei

Jul 6

"Whatever I do is Aikido."

But this connection is like the tip of an iceberg - like so many things - only the surface of so much more hidden just below.

45 views

Sensei

Jun 5

Missing North Carolina Friends This Weekend

As we head into the weekend, it's sad to note that both our Spring Seminar, where we host Jonathan Weiner Sensei of Aikido of Charlotte, ...

34 views

Matthew Addison

May 6

AIKIDO, KIDS, AND COMPETITION

I’m writing this to address the interesting topic of how we nurture our Junior akidoists in understanding Aikido and competition, with th...

123 views

Sensei

May 5

Nothing Sadder Than a "Has Been"

Nothing is less impressive to me than someone who “used to be” and thinking they command respect by resting on that history.

78 views

Sensei

Mar 13

COVID-19 and Your Training

It is imperative that the dojo maintains the highest level of health and safety. To that end, we want to make clear our policies...

46 views

Sensei

Mar 11

"Etiquette Doesn't Matter, It's All Indoctrination"

"Sensei" just means teacher or someone you hope to gain knowledge from. Your school teacher is a sensei, your doctor is a sensei. A "sen...

58 views

Sensei

Mar 2

Building Bridges - How Does the Next Generation Grow?

I think the goal here should be for quality Aikido instructors to find each other and work together to identify each other's unique challeng

29 views

Sensei

Feb 13

Loyalty. Devotion. Lineage. "Who Needs It?"

Over the last few years I've had the privilege of beginning a few exchanges with fellow dojo cho. These "seeds" are meant to be the beginnin

71 views

Sensei

Feb 12

"I Refuse To Learn From Someone Whose Political Affiliation Differs From Mine"

This is becoming an all too common theme in so many disciplines across so many industries. We have become so polarized that even those activ

339 views

Sensei

Jan 13

Our Dojo Motto for a New Decade

As we prepare for our first major seminar of 2020 on January 18th with Sensei Helen Reynolds and Sensei Keith Lit of Florida Aikikai, it is

21 views

Sensei

Jan 7

"Sensei, you're such a creature of habit." WRONG.

One of the most common statements I hear from students, visitors, friends, and family is that I somehow naturally enjoy rigid structure to m

32 views

Sensei

Nov 26, 2019

What It Means To Be Thankful

One of my favorite things to say around the dojo is: "I just work here". To some extent, it's one of many things we say and do to keep the j

179 views

Sensei

Nov 14, 2019

What is the Difference Between Black Belt Ranks?

What's in a rank? Does it really matter? Do they care that much in Japan (where the ranks originate)? Why should I work so hard towards k...

30 views

Sensei

Nov 7, 2019

Aikido Camps - Only for Black Belts?

One of the most common responses I've gotten when inviting students to attend major seminars like Summer Camp or Winter Camp isn't what y...

36 views

Sensei

Sep 2, 2019

A 5-Star Dojo Is Worth Celebrating!

Thank you to all those who have taken the time to share their experiences on the mat here in Clearwater at Pinellas County Aikikai Dojo. ...

31 views

Matthew Addison

Aug 6, 2019

Grab my wrist!

“Grab my wrist” What do you even mean “grab my wrist”? When demonstrating a technique to a new student/guest “grab my wrist” are usually ...

119 views

Sensei

Jul 10, 2019

Japanese Culture & Aikido - Where do we draw the line?

Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art, focused on cultivating peaceful human beings through rigorous training. Many of us are drawn t

27 views

Sensei

Apr 22, 2019

Welcome to Spring Seminar Week!

As we prepare to host Sensei Jonathan Weiner of Aikido of Charlotte this weekend, this week is an ideal time for new students, sempai, an...

15 views

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