He kept telling me to call him Francis. I’d manage it in the moment, but it didn’t feel right. I would always eventually revert to addressing Takahashi Shihan as “Sensei.” Takahashi Sensei passed away this morning, Saturday, November 11th, 2023 — one of my favorite people — leaving a bigger-than-life hole in the fabric of the Aikido universe. Aiki Royalty In January of 2010 I participated in the Bridge Seminar at Jiai Aikido in San Diego — a timid 6th kyu student. It was my first big seminar, and I was one of only a handful of white belts on the mat. My fervent hope was that I could hide out i ..read more

OK, I don’t know who Ed is. “A yondan Aikido” is a weird way to say that, too. Apparently, he’s some guy on 90 Day Fiancé? A TV show, I guess. (People still watch those?) What is a “Yondan Aikido”? Aikido is definitely not about threatening to “take you down.” Sheesh… I hope an actual yondan — a 4th-degree black belt — didn’t say that. Usually we’d say “a yondan in Aikido.” Anyway… Since you’re here, welcome! If you’re interested in learning about Aikido you’re in the right place. I’ve been sharing Aikido and my experiences on the mat since I started training in 2009. I’m a sandan now — a 3rd ..read more

OK, I don’t know who Ed is. “A yondan Aikido” is a weird way to say that, too. Apparently, he’s some guy on 90 Day Fiancé? A TV show, I guess. (People still watch those?) What is a “Yondan Aikido”? Aikido is definitely not about threatening to “take you down.” Sheesh… I hope an actual yondan — a 4th-degree black belt — didn’t say that. Usually we’d say “a yondan in Aikido.” Anyway… Since you’re here, welcome! If you’re interested in learning about Aikido you’re in the right place. I’ve been sharing Aikido and my experiences on the mat since I started training in 2009. I’m a sandan now — a 3rd ..read more

Meditation can seem mysterious, complicated, difficult, and time-consuming. But it doesn’t need to be. There’s value in easy, brief, and informal ways of meditating, too. We can each create a simple, achievable practice for ourselves that will make a difference in our lives. Here’s a place to start. Don’t panic. Meditation easy. You can do it. After you’ve read this article you’ll be able to design a simple meditation practice that suites your needs and preferences. For right now here’s just one popular way you can try. Simple meditation — step by step: Find a quiet place where you won’t be i ..read more

A couple of years into Aikido training I was sitting in silent meditation with Sensei and several dojomates before class, lights dimmed, eyes closed. This was a regular practice at the dojo then, and frankly I initially joined in as a way to make sure I got to class on time. Worst case, if I got out of work late, or ran into traffic, I’d miss meditation, but still get to class. I was a bit of a cushion in my schedule. But I quickly learned to really value that brief period of stillness. The rest of my life was intense — busy and harried. But I’m nothing if not tough, so I persisted, dashing fr ..read more

Posting on Tuesday – from home in San Diego County – about Monday, June 12th Exeter – Oildale – Fort Tejon – Pyramid Lake – California Water Project – Antelope Valley – Home NOTE: For some reason I can barely access my site from my phone tonight – and my phone is where the photos are. Thank goodness this didn’t happen in the middle of my trip! I have an long day tomorrow, then two days of solid activity and will likely have to get back to this over the weekend. So here’s the mostly-image-less version of this post. (I borrowed the main image from another day’s post.) My apologies. On Monday I d ..read more

Posting on Monday morning – from Exeter – about Sunday, June 11th Jamestown – Railtown 1897 train ride – grasslands – Mining and Mineral Museum – Exeter Starting with a Train Ride My first stop on Sunday, less than five minutes from the Miners Motel in Jamestown, was Railtown 1897, a California State Historic Park. Thanks to my constitutional inability to be up and out early in the morning I was already on a pretty tight schedule to see everything I wanted to see and arrive at my next town while I still had some daylight. I had to make a choice between seeing the museum and riding the train. I ..read more

Posting on Sunday morning – from Jamestown – about Saturday, June 10th Placerville – Historic Cary House Hotel – Calaveras Big Trees – Jamestown Saturday was pretty simple — a quiet, enjoyable day. I hung out for a short while in Placerville, headed down Highway 49 and up the hill to see Calaveras Big Trees State Park, and finally drove down to Jamestown. Historic Cary House Hotel Most of the places I am staying on this trip are very modest. Usually old roadside motels that have been refurbished (somewhat). Typically under $100 a night. My big exception to this was in Placerville where I staye ..read more

Posting on Saturday morning – from Placerville – about Friday, June 9th Brownsville – Oroville Lake and dam – Malakoff Diggins – an Aikido encounter – Placerville On Friday I drove so many roads I can’t even begin to keep track. I will have to create a Google map when I get home to show you. It was quite a tour. Gorgeous country. In theory it could’ve taken me about four hours to drive the route I drove, but of course there are stops to be made and photos to be taken, and people to talk to, so it took away bit longer — more like 10 hours. But I saw some amazing things. And most of them were re ..read more

Posting on Friday morning – from Brownsville – about Thursday, June 8th Retreat ends – drive down from the mountains – Empire Mine – Nevada City – a pretty drive – Brownsville The Retreat Ends Thursday was the last day of the retreat. That’s always a strange combination of wanting to linger with friends, and being eager to head out to whatever is next. We had three short classes in the morning, then checked out of our rooms, and regrouped for lunch. I was aiming to get to a state park that closes at 5 PM, so I resolved to be prompt about taking off after a quick bite. For the classes, each of ..read more