Floating Hands and Heads, Or How to Move as Good as (or Better Than) a Worm
“The average person today is less mobile than a worm,” Mark Sensei declares in the middle of warmups. He makes this point while the...
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philipriffe
Apr 18, 20236 min read
A Finger Pointing at the Moon
My ski companion decided to take a break and have a beer. I left her sitting outside in the snow on a lawn chair in the broad area at the...
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durangosbkaikido
Feb 20, 20234 min read
Intro to Aikido Class Starts in March
On Monday, March 6th, DSBK launches a 4-week INTRO CLASS series. Participants who complete the course will attain a 6th kyu belt rank —...
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durangosbkaikido
Feb 18, 20234 min read
Taking Up Space
The attacker lunged for Lisa. She deftly shifted back a few inches out of reach. She gripped his hand. She made a graceful pivot....
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durangosbkaikido
Jan 16, 20234 min read
NEW 4-Week Beginner Series
Participants who complete the course will attain a 6th kyu belt rank — step one of six on the way to a black belt. Plus a wealth of...
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durangosbkaikido
Dec 13, 20221 min read
DSBK Annual Report 2022
Our dojo is good evidence that bouncing back from a global catastrophe takes time and persistence. Improved class attendance, expanded...
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durangosbkaikido
Nov 15, 20225 min read
When Dojo and Classroom Combine
DSBK and Silverton School Launch Unique Learning Enrichment for Kids Awe froze the crowd to stillness as the regiment marched in unison...
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durangosbkaikido
Sep 27, 20223 min read
Acing the Test
DSBK Offers First Post-Covid Kyu Test Sensei called out the first technique to be demonstrated on the test. Mike Boeckman listened to the...
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durangosbkaikido
Feb 12, 20221 min read
DSBK Annual Report 2021
DSBK continues to survive and thrive a wearying global pandemic. According to national statistics on martial arts dojos, vast numbers of...
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philipriffe
Sep 27, 20214 min read
Notes From a Gentleman Farmer
September. Here, at 8000 feet, any night a freeze may come. One late snowpea plant is still blossoming. The rest are going brown, and...
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philipriffe
Jun 17, 20216 min read
Shadow Boxing
I felt dismayed. In the midst of preparing for my first aikido test—consisting of 10 techniques—I made the mistake of asking one of the...
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durangosbkaikido
Feb 4, 20214 min read
Hyperventilating (On Purpose)
Surrounded by snow drifts with an icy river trickling nearby, the assembly under the pavilion swung their swords and gasped for breath....
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durangosbkaikido
Dec 22, 20201 min read
DSBK Annual Report 2020
DSBK weathered many a storm in 2020. In the end, we find that the practice we’ve invested on the mat being flexible, responsive, and...
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philipriffe
Nov 20, 202012 min read
A Meditation on Meditation
Introspection Comes to America “Turn off your mind Relax and float downstream It is not dying It is not dying” I was 13 and the sound...
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durangosbkaikido
Oct 21, 20203 min read
Change and Breathing
We are living in a time of great change. Change comes with uncertainty. For many people, uncertainty creates anxiety. We can’t eliminate...
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durangosbkaikido
Sep 5, 20204 min read
A Wiser Body Through Aikido
“The mountain lion was hunting and running towards me as I came around a corner,” Taylor explained. He too was hunting when the animal...
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durangosbkaikido
Jul 28, 20204 min read
Cutting Class
Ahhh. There’s nothing like a good sword-slinger movie set in a historic and/or fanciful Asian world. Any Kurosawa film belongs on the...
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durangosbkaikido
Feb 3, 20206 min read
All Tied Up – Musubi part 2
In my last post I discussed two Japanese words–awase and musubi— are slightly different concepts of connecting with a partner’s energy. I...
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durangosbkaikido
Dec 30, 20193 min read
Bound to Connect: Musubi Part 1
Aikido is a Japanese martial art. Although it is practiced around the world, its cultural context is important. From the uniform to the...
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durangosbkaikido
Dec 22, 20191 min read
DSBK Annual Report 2019
Durango Shin Budo Kai Aikido focused on building a robust financial backbone throughout 2019. The dojo achieved this outcome by...
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