Interview: Aikido empowering women - Budo and discipline in Aikido (#AikidoWomen)
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
We are pleased to have a number of senior Aikido Women helming and leading important initiatives at IAF. Here, we speak to three women, who chair the IAF’s working groups:
Lydia Zijdel - Chairperson of the IAF Disability Working Group, Satomi Ishikawa - Co-Chairperson of the IAF Gender Balance Working Group, and Lijnie Reijers - Chairperson of the IAF Youth Working Group, to get their perspectives on their experience as women aikidokas, the path for women in Aikido and their hopes for the future.
Read more: Interview: Aikido empowering women - Budo and discipline in Aikido (#AikidoWomen)
Celebrating the Martial Art of Aikido in Plovdiv
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
Plovdiv, European Capital of Culture in 2019, will celebrate Aikido with the International Seminar & Embukai conducted by Tsuruzo Miyamoto Shihan, in April. This project aims to develop and promote the Japanese culture and values and it has been set to be the Ambassador of Aikido for Plovdiv 2019.
International Aikido Youth Seminar in Bulgaria
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
IAF continues the series of International Aikido Youth Seminars. Bulgaria is the next country to host and organize the third event dedicated to children and teenagers that love to practice Aikido. The seminar will be conducted by Hino Terumasa 5th Dan Hombu Dojo Shidoin, during the 19th and the 21st of July 2019, in Varna, Bulgaria.
New Aikido Umbrella Organizations
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
Two new Aikido umbrella organizations are to be created after the meetings the IAF representatives had with several Aikido organizations in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, this week.
(Meeting in Turkey)
(Meeting in Saudi Arabia)
International Women’s Day in Europe
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The IAF Gender Balance Working Group invited Miyuki Kumazawa Sensei in Europe to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Miyuki Kumazawa 6th Dan Sensei is part of Aikikai Japan and she will conduct seminars in Netherland and Belgium under IAF aegis.
SkillAi, EU Funded Aikido Project
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The website of a new Aikido project has just been launched: www.skillai.eu . The project is called SKILLAI and it is funded by the EU Erasmus+. The aim of the project is to introduce Aikido as a skill development tool for young people. The first three countries within this project are Slovenia, Hungary and Netherland.
First Round for the IWGA Athlete of the Year
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The IWGA Athlete of the Year event went through the first round and Renato Filippin Shihan, who I nominated, came to number 11 among the other entries, so our participation this year will not go any further. We would like to congratulate those other athletes from other sports, who have moved to the following stage and I personally would like to thank all those Aikidokas and friends who voted for Renato Filippin Shihan who received a significant volume of support from many people!
The Kagami-Biraki 2019 ceremony at Hombu Dojo
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The main hall at Hombu Dojo was entirely full on the occasion of the Kagami-Biraki ceremony of 2019. There were people who came from far away countries to attend this event. 742 Aikidoka were promoted to a new Yudansha Aikido Aikikai rank. Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba conducted the ceremony and also held an Embukai.
The Disability Working Group in Action
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
For the first time, two wheelchair using Aikido teachers taught together in Aikido clinics in Europe. Lydia Zijdel, the Chairperson of the Disability Working Group of the IAF, from Netherland, and Molly Hale, member of the same working group, from USA, organized a tour where they taught together in Netherland. This event was organized in cooperation with Aikikai Netherland, under the aegis of IAF.
“Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow.”
Morihei Ueshiba
Renato Filippin Shihan Nominated Athlete of the Year 2018
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
International World Games Association will launch the session for designation of the Athlete of the Year 2018 on the 1st of January 2019. The nominated person to represent Aikido is Renato Filippin Shihan 7 Dan.
Read more: Renato Filippin Shihan Nominated Athlete of the Year 2018
Female Instructors Seminar in Netherland
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The Annual Aikido Seminar in Netherland, that is conducted by female instructors, run its course full well. Women and also men gathered to practice together on tatami.
Aikido at Nanairo Ekiden in Uruguay
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
Uruguay gathered a lot of active people yesterday, in Canelones, for the Nanairo Ekiden event. "It was a pleasant surprise to see that even though there were a lot of loud expressing spectators, during the Aikido demonstration everybody turned quiet and paid attention to what was happening on the tatami." said Lilamani de Soysa, from the University of Tsukuba, present at the event.
The International Aikido Female Instructors Seminar in Slovenia
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
Slovenia hosted a very punctilious and fruitful international aikido seminar. It was conducted by three women who love aikido very much and show this through their dedication on the tatami and beyond: Nadia Korichi, 4th Dan, Satomi Ishikawa, 4th Dan, and Staša Pisek, 3rd Dan. The seminar was in Ljubljana, during the 11th – 13th of May. Boštjan Kenda was one of the participants at this seminar and was very kind to share the impressions upon the International Aikido Female Instructors Seminar.
Satomi Ishikawa Sensei, Staša Pisek Sensei and Nadia Korichi Sensei
Read more: The International Aikido Female Instructors Seminar in Slovenia
24-Hour International Aikido Marathon
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
Kosice will be the heart city of the 24-hour International Aikido Marathon this year. 14 instructors from 7 countries will conduct the trainings of this event, during the 6th-7th of October 2018.
Female Instructor Seminar in Buenos Aires
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
11 female instructors from 7 countries conducted the trainings of the annual Female Instructor Seminar in Buenos Aires. This was the 3rd edition of the event that is meant not only to promote female instructors, but also to unite different Aikikai federations in whole Argentina.
50 Years Of Aikido celebrated at Gothenburg International Shochugeiko 2018
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The Swedish anniversary Aikido event - Gothenburg International Shochugeiko & 50 years of Aikido - has just started today. It is a time of joy celebrated in two intensive weeks of Takemusu Aikido, during July 2–7 and July 9–13. Gothenburg Aikido Club organizes every summer a session of trainings at the warmest time of the year, but now there is an extra celebration due to the fact that Ulf Evenås Shihan, who has been the supervisor of Gothenburg Aikido Club, marks his 50th year in Aikido.
Read more: 50 Years Of Aikido celebrated at Gothenburg International Shochugeiko 2018
Aikido and Gender Day 2018: Building Blocks for Gender Equity
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
How to make practical progress to achieve gender balance and equity in Aikido? At the Second Aikido and Gender Day 2018, the participant aikidoka dealt with this question from different angles. In various ways, from Aikido training to workshops and interactive dialogues, they identified a rich collection of items which may serve as 'building blocks' for an agenda for further work.
Katarina Gullberg, Chairperson, Swedish Aikikai
Read more: Aikido and Gender Day 2018: Building Blocks for Gender Equity
International Women’s Day: Celebrating diversity and inclusiveness in Aikido #AikidoWomen
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- Written by Vaness Radd
- Category: Aikido - Opinions
In celebration of International Women’s Day, IAF has compiled a summary article based on best practices and viewpoints gathered from its members and Aikido practitioners all around the world on how dojos can continue to encourage women to take up Aikido in the spirit of inclusivity (this also extends to the disabled and the practice of Aikido in other cultures).
Read more: International Women’s Day: Celebrating diversity and inclusiveness in Aikido #AikidoWomen
Gender Balance Activities
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
We will soon be celebrating the 8th of March, the International Women's Day. Since its foundation in 2016 in Takasaki, the IAF Gender Balance Working Group has been actively supporting the gender balance in the world of Aikido. Although Aikido is for everyone, the gender balance is still one side up, especially in the field of leadership - there are far less high-ranking female instructors and board members than the male equivalent.
The Kagami-Biraki 2018 ceremony at Hombu Dojo
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The traditional Kagami-Biraki ceremony was held at Hombu Dojo, the Aikido World Headquarters, in Tokyo/Japan, on the 14th of January 2018. 941 people were awarded Dan promotions. Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba offered an embukai on this occasion.
Doshu's Demonstration
Aikido Youth International Seminar in Netherlands
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
The first IAF’s Youth International Seminar took place in Netherlands at mid November. Over 270 children attended the seminar that was conducted by Eiji Katsurada Hombu Dojo Shihan. The young aikidoka came from Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands.
Read more: Aikido Youth International Seminar in Netherlands
Combat Games 2019 to be held in Taipei
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
After a hiatus of 4 years after the World Combat Games in St. Petersburg, Russia (2013), the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) has renewed its effort to revive many of the multi-sport events such as Mind Games, Beach Games, Urban Games, Artistic Games and Combat Games. The first one to be announced on November 8th 2017 was the Combat Games to be held in Chinese Taipei in the fall of 2019.
Anniversary Seminar with Dojo-cho, in Romania
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- Written by Irina Gaspar
- Category: IAF latest News
Romania hosted an international seminar a few days ago to celebrate 20 years of activity of the Romanian Aikikai Aikido Foundation. The main instructor of this event was Mitsuteru Ueshiba, Hombu Dojo-cho.
The IAF unveils its new logo!
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- Written by Directing Committee
- Category: IAF latest News
The logo represents IAF’s increasing global presence and its role and the traditional value of Aikido as a Japanese Budo. The new logo has taken into account the digital age requirements of logo usage and for the first time involved a professional graphic designer to package it in a way that is ready and easy to use by the member nations. The logo incorporates Aikikai’s requirements which highlights even stronger ties between Aikikai and IAF.
Special Lecture by Tada Shihan
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- Written by Guillaume Erard
- Category: IAF News
During the 12th Internal Aikido Federation Congress, attendees got the opportunity to attend a series of events and conferences. On of those was a special lecture given by Hiroshi Tada Shihan, 9th Dan at the Takasaki City Hall. Please enjoy this recording of a lecture by one of the last direct students of O Sensei.
All Japan Aikido Demonstrations 2017
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- Written by Guillaume Erard
- Category: IAF News
The 55th edition of the All Japan Aikido Demonstrations took place at the Nippon Budokan last Saturday. Please enjoy this playlist featuring videos of the most exciting Aikido event of the year! We will keep adding more videos as we edit them.
12th IAF Congress: Classes Highlights
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- Written by Guillaume Erard
- Category: IAF latest News
We went back to the footage that we shot during the 12th International Aikido Federation Congress in Takasaki and thought that you might enjoy seeing some excerpts of the classes. Here is the Youtube playlist where we will post this content as it is being sorted.
