Sensei’s Blog

I know we're all going to live forever, but sometimes accidents happen to even the most immortal of us. If that happens, what happens to our lineage? You haven't thought about it? You're young yet then, but eventually this needs to be addressed or the art won't continue. This isn't the latest exercise fad, it's … Continue reading Passing it along – Sept 4, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

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Chikara Ishi (strength stone) or Chi-Ishi (short name) Instructions: You will need several two and a half litre plastic buckets (plastic paint pots are ideal) Six inch (15cm) nails A broom handle or doweling, one and a quarter inches (3cm) diameter The length for each Chi-Ishi should be eighteen to twenty inches (46 to 51cm) … Continue reading How to make a Chi-Ishi

Something that gets a bit confused in the world of koryu within federations is the idea of "who owns you". The koryu are pretty well understood by us westerners, your teacher is your teacher. You don't go training with other sensei without permission or being told to go. What a lot of folks don't understand … Continue reading Empires or Lineages – August 7, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

"Do not drag the mind into the past nor into the future." That's a bit misleading I think, we need to reference the past and anticipate the future in order to continue in the present. We learn from the past without letting it control us. Yes we found things that work in the past, we … Continue reading Being in the present. – August 6, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

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I'm going through a book of writings by Takuan Soho before I get back to trying to go through the Tengu writings. Can't quite muster the concentration for that one, maybe in the winter, which seems to be coming soon since we're in an election campaign and they are never called in the summertime because … Continue reading Immovable Wisdom – Aug 3, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan

If the ultimate goal of training is to develop an immovable mind, a mind that will come up with techniques at need and not get caught on what the other guy is trying to do or what you are trying to do, why do the old schools have kata? I love teaching aikido because I … Continue reading What’s with the kata? – Aug 1, 2015, Kim Taylor, Renshi, CI Sei Do Kai Guelph ON, Nanadan