Crush em!
Bristol Study Group
Ginjukai UK Branch went on tour to Bristol yesterday. We caught up with old friends, and checked in with Ginjukai members from the west country. Out thanks go to Daren and Rich for hosting and looking after us.
Up!
Tonight was all about Aiki Age. And most enjoyable it was too. Especially because of Lionel’s “required softness” rum, which was most appreciated.
Nifty fifties
Proper treat
Tonight during practice, we received a video call from the USA. One of our two teachers, Popkin Sensei, phoned in for a video chat and very kindly gave us some instruction.
Tonight was fun
Another evening of lines, albeit short ones. Focus was on balance breaking. Thank you to everyone for all their continued hard work. We forgot to take a group photo, so this one will have to do
Hardcore
Another cracking evening with the hard core of UK Daito-ryu. Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and hard work.
Small circle
When you work in lines and there’s only four of you, you get small circles and dizziness.
Crushing fun
Tonight we did a solid two hours of training in lines. The knees will feel it in the morning, but it was well worth it. Well done everyone.
A toast
Training last night was excellent. The two hours flew by. We also took a moment to hold a “softness” toast to our training in 2023. Here’s a few snaps of some Aiki age practice.
Aiki Connections 2022 gallery
Hardcore
These guys are Very serious about their Daito-ryu. An excellent evening training was followed in classic “three beers softness” fashion at the pub.
Intensive training
Tonight we trained entirely in lines. And most enjoyable it was too. Thanks to the group for all their hard work. And thank you Lionel for the gift of the lovely wine.
2023 onwards and upwards!
Back for our first session of the new year. We last met at Aiki Connections in December. Today we practised with renewed vigour, excited for UK Daito-ryu in 2023.
Training this Friday
First Daito-ryu training of 2023 commences this Friday night. If you haven’t experienced Daito-Ryu before, get in touch.
Oh my….
Not sure where to start. I’ll leave this as a placeholder until I can write a full report. Suffice to say, Aiki Connections was amazing.
Not long now…
Please get in touch if you have any questions or have any requirements for Aiki Connections. Not long now guys!
Very active session
Thanks to everyone who attended this evening’s study group session. Such an excellent workrate, we got through so much. It was lovely to hear everyone so excited for December’s Aiki Connections weekend.
Focus
“Circumstances” meant we had a bit of skeleton study group last night. Short training lines aside, we focused on just three kata for the whole session. With limited opportunities to practise before Popkin Sensei and Brogna Sensei arrive in December, we finished the evening with a real feeling that progress…
Destination Copenhagen
A contingent from the study group went on tour courtesy of an invitation from Ole Kingston of Daito-ryu Aiki-Jujutsu Enryukai. Great friends with our teachers Popkin and Brogna Senseis, Ole has practised Daito-ryu since 1986. Ole began the Daito-ryu Aiki-Jujutsu Enryukai after Okamoto Sensei passed away in 2015. We were…
Greatest hits
Tonight we focused in on the three techniques of Daito-ryu – Up, down and turn. Unfortunately we also said farewell to Will who is leaving for warmer climes. We will miss him.
Gagging for it
Very enjoyable evening at Study Group. Everyone is desperate for December to come around quickly so we can get busy with enjoying Aiki Connections 2022. As our inimitable Lionel put so eloquently “gagging for it!”
Come and Find Out
Epic Summer Evening
With our teachers coming In December, it was time to knuckle down and focus on the basics. A super warm evening was made effortless with the dojo’s new air conditioning.
Great evening
Continuing the with Daito-ryu principles, tonight’s theme was “turn”. A great evening with much laughter.
Detailed study
A very focused session tonight, with the aim of minimum effort, maximum effect. As always, a varied degree of success was achieved. But we loved every minute of it. We also celebrated Dangerous Dave’s birthday.
Epic evening
Absolute cracker of a study group session last night. Kudos to all who always travel so far to train together. Then we finished off with our attempt at the requisite beer softness (albeit in the wrong order).
Study Group on tour
We took a Sunday field trip to East London to visit Hikarikan Aikido and spend a day exploring soft kuzushi. Here’s to many more!
Renewed vigour
Timetabling meant we had a smaller, yet highly focused group training this time. An absolutely cracking evenings training, (without any cracking).
Amazing evening
Great study group session tonight. So happy to see everyone and to continue our progress. Hoping we can get together for another meeting this month.
New Year, new focus
The first Study Group training session of 2022 is done. Focus and attention on basics was the order of the day. Much enjoyment and many laughs were had by all. Such a great group.
Renewed Focus
Two study group sessions this month, as everyone is keen to focus in on improving. With a great group like this, training is such a pleasure.
What fantastic training
A thoroughly enjoyable study group session tonight. Considerable progress was made. Then we had beer. Such lovely people. Lee couldn’t make it. Thankfully his dogi was able to stand in for him.
Great training
This seems very familiar
Training this Friday night
The next Daito-ryu Study Group Session is 7pm, Friday 8th October in Swalecliffe, Kent. If you would like to attend, get in touch and introduce yourself.
Next training 1st Oct
Oh how I’ve missed these guys
What a splendid way to spend a Friday evening. To meet up with some wonderful friends, and crush them.
At last!
We did it. We finally, after such a long hiatus, have been able to resume study group practice. It was so great to see everyone. Nice new dojo too! Here’s to much more Daito-Ryu.
Ok we were “back”, but now we WILL be “back back”
In light of the government’s announcement to extend the lifting of restrictions for 4 weeks, we will now resume training in late July instead. We will announce the specifics soon…..
We’re back baby!
First Study Group meeting back after Covid restrictions is 2nd July 2021. And we have a dojo…. Unit 2, Oyster Bay,Estuary CloseSt Augustine Business Park,SwalecliffeCT5 2QJ If you would like to try Daito-Ryu with us, get in touch via the contact page.
Takeda video via new technology
This new DeepNostalgia from MyHeritage is very impressive. I thought I’d give it a whirl with none other than Takeda Sokaku himself.
Seminar Feedback by Rich Hobbs
This was my second time attending a seminar with Howard Popkin and the only disappointment I came away with was that the time between each opportunity is as long as it is… Howard has a confident yet quiet delivery and whilst he is friendly, open and safe in his delivery…
Aiki Connections by Ben Forrest
Training with Howard Popkin Sensei provides a unique insight into Daito Ryu and some of its elements which translate into Aikido. His techniques are are incredibly soft – almost effortless – and yet they are impossible to resist. Although this is infuriating at first, Howard’s detailed explanation and step-by-step demonstration…
Seminar weekend
Today would have been the first day of Aiki Connections 7. We will get our weekend soon, just not yet. Stay safe everyone.
Aiki Connections 7 – Postponed
Hi all, Just to let you know we have postponed our annual Aiki Connections seminar for May 2020, which we will reschedule. We have already been in touch with everyone who had already booked on the weekend. Please watch this space for future announcements. Please stay safe. Our best wishes…
Interesting Article from Aikido Journal
This article on Police Arrest techniques adapted from Daito-ryu is very interesting. Considering how we practise kamae in our branch of Daito-ryu, I was particularly interested in this, the 8th Footnote… “The insistence of Hisa on hanmi (半身, lit.: “half of one’s body”) is interesting since it is not usually prominently…
More suitable meme choice
It’s Aiki-jujutsu 😉 Image credit Griffinisland on Reddit. Well done to them, great job!
There’s no going back
Come and experience the difference for yourself, and join the very select family of budoka who have. There is no going back.
Not just a little leap forward…
You expect occasionally to take a little leap forward in your understanding of things. What you don’t plan for, is to have your mind blown open by new possibility and instead end up realising that what you thought you knew just wasn’t anywhere near the whole picture at all. This…