This year seems to be the year of replacing my parts. I underwent orthopedic surgery on L4-L5 / L5-S1 vertebrae in May and just when I started to enjoy freedom of movement, my right knee went out. Although it wasn’t unexpected, past evaluations showed a slow steady degradation of the cartilage around the knee with…
Category: aikido
My Aikido Training Partner
A few years ago John Stevens Sensei came to visit and offer Aikido seminars in Northern California. Sensei Stevens at the time was dealing with some major health issues. At some point in the seminar, he told the group, “For the last few years, my training partner was cancer.” I was surprised by this. He…
Don’t forget to be kind to yourself
Editors note: I wrote this in a private facebook group, but thought that this is very relevant to my aikido practice as well as how I need to face life in general. I am including this post without edit for this blog entry. As promised I will be posting my daily check-in privately 🙂. But as…
How I’m training aikido during the Covid-19 pandemic
I have decided to halt my class time at the Aikido dojo I practice at for a couple of months. Aikido is by and large a partner practice but the risk for me is too great, considering I have some health risks being a diabetic, my wife has respiratory challenges, and my mom is almost…
A Short note of gratitude
I am grateful for the slow steady progress we are making in the formation of Flowing River Aikido. I feel very blessed and fortunate to practice right next to the beautiful Russian River area nestled in the midst of the surrounding hills and redwood trees, close to the ocean. More than this, I am very…
4-29-2018 – Grove of old trees, the Russia House, Ocean Song
My partner and I had the joyous opportunity to seek out spots for our wedding. We went to some beautiful places to look: The grove of old trees and Ocean Song in Occidental, The Russia House just south of Jenner. Here are some pictures from the day.
Practice makes…
Permanent. The common notion is “practice makes perfect” but I’m not sure that that is correct. I came across this phrase when I went to visit Aikijuku dojo in Overland Park, Kansas in the summer of 2017 for their grand opening. Sensei Neil Segal, the dojo cho held a 3 day seminar and invited senseis…
1-25-2018 – Aikido of Sebastopol
I’m taking a slight detour from my normal bout of nature photos. Aikido is an important part of my life but since I moved it is hard to get to Petaluma during the weekdays. So on Thursdays, I attend class at Takemusu Aikido of Sebastopol. I was anxious to try the L16 out in indoor…
Dakota Access Pipeline
I just found out that an oil company is going to create a pipeline to distribute oil to San Jose, CA! They are going to start drilling in Santa Rosa, and then create a pipeline that goes underneath the San Francisco Bay, through San Francisco and Colma, CA down into the south bay to San Jose….
Connections to my Guitar and my Aikido
As a requirement for my upcoming Aikido nidan (2nd degree black belt) test, I have been asked to write an essay. I have written about music and aikido previously but this exercise gave me a chance to look a bit deeper at how the two arts of music and Aikido have crossed paths and…
Mark's Meanderings 