O-Soji 2022

by Ea Murphy (May 2021) Long ago, I determined that whether or not to go to the dojo, whether or not to train on any particular day was not a decision. It just was. I woke up, had a day, then trained; or woke up, trained, had a day, and then trained again. Early on,...

by Kristen Lawson Photo (c) 2020 K.D. Lawson I walk. I most enjoy walking in nature, natural surroundings, or as close to that as I can get. Light, smells, and sounds change day-to-day and season-to-season. Right now, I am looking forward to the sounds of the song...

How long have you been a member of the dojo, and how long have you been training in Aikido? Claire: This dojo is my beginning with Aikido, and I came to it in September of 2019 for the fall Beginner Series. That was my first ever exposure to Aikido. I’ve been mostly...

What made you interested in Aikido? How long have you been a member at the dojo and how long have you been training in Aikido? Chris: I was interested in Aikido probably since I first saw a Steven Seagal movie. As it turns out, he was maybe not as good as I thought he...

Why did you first become interested in Aikido and how long have you been training at Tacoma Aikikai? Rose: I think I first heard of Aikido from The Walking Dead TV show, and I liked the idea of being strong and skilled but causing no more harm than absolutely...

by Malory Graham Chief instructor, Seattle Aikikai As the global Covid-19 pandemic continues into another year, we are watching dojos all over the world make the hard decision to close their physical spaces. We closed up our dojo in Seattle, WA in July after operating...

by Ea Murphy Plans change. One out of many of the things planned for 2020 was hosting Thierry Diagana Sensei and his family from California for a summer seminar at Tacoma Aikikai. When we finally did see the Diagana family over winter break, we were speechless when...

by Laura Livingston It was the summer months that lured me into waking up at 5:00 am. The traffic outside the window of my old apartment was limited. The silence combined with the intense commitment of the daylight coming forward, creating and altering shadows, seemed...

by Joshua Knudson “The essence of Aikido is to put oneself in tune with the functioning of the universe, to become one with the universe. Those who have grasped the inner meaning of Aikido possess the universe within themselves.” ~ O-sensei New age spirituality has...

by Charlie Emlet Most of us, if we have practiced a martial art long enough, have faced times when we could not train as normal. Maybe a training related injury or work/family obligations thwarted our training routine. These situations usually last days or perhawps...