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Thank you. How long have you been practicing for?

Fourteen years. I'm currently a Nidan. I am actually running a dojo now, with the help of some other senior students of my late Sensei (and more experienced practitioners in our association, TAA).

Like you said in your video, those interested in being the most effective in a sport fight don't get it. But those who get it, really get it.

I wrote a little about picking up and moving on after my Sensei's passing here. The post is well past payout so if you like it, don't waste your upvote - just keep in touch!

I'm sorry to hear about your lost. And are you doing tamici aikido?

No, we practice Iwama style. Our association is Takemusu Aikido Association - it's under Hombu dojo, but with a lineage that follows Morohiro Saito Sensei.

Nice, my second guess would have been tenshin but iwama is good two.

Is there anything you think someone should talk about that the public doesn't know about?

Good question. I wish people understood what a practice like Aikido actually provides to the body and the brain. People are constantly trying to regulate their energy, attention, mood, and focus with superficial fixes, trying to train their thoughts or behavior with affirmations, discipline, or therapy. They don't know the three inputs most effective at integrating brain activity are touch, heavy muscle activity, and movement in 3-dimensional space. There aren't many opportunities for adults to get this vital input, and we don't even realize how the lack of activity effects mood, productivity, relationships, and judgement.

Ok I was thinking about doing a comparison between internal and external martial arts so that might be a good way to fill in some of the blanks.

I've been thinking about you last comment and I believe I miss read it the first time and now I'm not so sure of what it is your trying to tell me. What exactly do you mean by integrating brain activity? And what would the perpuse of that be for?