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
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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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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durangosbkaikido
Sep 27, 20198 min read
To See a Tree: Lessons from the Deadly Table
“I was having panic attacks,” Adele explains to the dinner party gathered at the local brewery. Around that large, high table we appear...
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durangosbkaikido
Aug 19, 20195 min read
Falling for It
“My ex-wife chose the paint colors,” Trebb explains as we set food and silverware on the dining table. He must have seen me eyeing the...
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durangosbkaikido
Mar 8, 20194 min read
Know Your Limitations
Face down. Prostrate on my belly. With my head turned to one side, one cheek smooshed and spread like a pancake on the griddle. That’s...
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philipriffe
Feb 18, 20195 min read
Ain’t Gonna Study War No More
In my teens I was a pacifist. I registered for the draft when I turned 18. But it was a stalling tactic. The Vietnam War raged and I had...
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durangosbkaikido
Dec 6, 20183 min read
Agatsu: Victory of Self (or “Can You Fold That Hakama?”)
Since the day I started training in aikido 2 1/2 years ago, I have admired everyone in a hakama and wondered what it would be like to...
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durangosbkaikido
Nov 26, 20184 min read
The Wrestler’s Vessel: A father and son give thanks for family, respect, and Aikido
Jerry and Nate face off on the mats. Jerry offers his torso as a target. Nate surges forward, his fist a torpedo gunning for his father’s...
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durangosbkaikido
Oct 15, 20182 min read
Immovable Mind
To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace. – Morihei Ueshiba A...
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durangosbkaikido
Sep 13, 20182 min read
The Caretaker’s Test
The above picture comes from Scott Carlton’s recent 5th kyu test—the first demonstration a person gives to establish their rank as a...
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philipriffe
Aug 1, 20184 min read
The Endless Accumulation of Fresh Starts
One Tuesday evening in August, 1992, I left work after a 12-hour shift, climbed onto my motorcycle, and headed for the dojo. My 4th...
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durangosbkaikido
Jul 25, 20182 min read
Practicing Aikido in the Present Moment
I didn’t know it would feel like this. It’s been two years now that I’ve been practicing aikido, and while there have been ups and downs,...
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durangosbkaikido
Jun 25, 20183 min read
Aikido, App’d for Dating
I downloaded the dating app, entered a punchy profile, and uploaded some pictures. My index finger hovered over the submit button. I...
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durangosbkaikido
Jun 18, 20184 min read
Toward correct perception
On the path toward correct perception, is there ever really any room for regret? Recently Mark Sensei asked us to consider the difference...
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durangosbkaikido
May 1, 20183 min read
Practice Watered Down
“Don’t change the kata,” Sensei Mark reminds the class. We stand in pairs down the mat, like characters in a Jane Austen novel about to...
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philipriffe
Apr 23, 20185 min read
Connection
In my early years of aikido, connection was not emphasized. I first conceived of connection as something to break away from. Someone...
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durangosbkaikido
Apr 11, 20182 min read
Dignity and Respect
I’ve always thought of myself as the kind of person who treats everyone with dignity and respect. In the short 21 months that I’ve been...
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durangosbkaikido
Feb 20, 20183 min read
Joy and beginner’s mind
My shaky signature on the little sign-in card betrayed the fact that I was choking back some fear. This was Day One of my aikido...
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