Stonehenge

Aikido in The Stones

It was dark and cold at 6.34 when we pulled up to Cleeve House. The lights from the windows pierced the early morning darkness, reflecting off the few cars that had already arrived. We crept quietly into the hall, which was abuzz with whispery white-clad Aikidoka, while unaware of our early aiki activities, B&B guests of the house slept upstairs.

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Japanese monkeys bathing

Aikido & Service to Mankind

The way of the warrior is usually synonymous with killing, the destruction of life. War has been the scourge of humanity for centuries, but it has often been said that war is at times necessary to establish peace. In my opinion, as long as the warrior spirit focuses on the destruction of life there can be no peace in this world.

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Sunrise

Morning Meditation

Woodlands Aikido Course

I was up at about 5am after ‘the call of nature’ so I decided to pack up my sleeping bag, bivi bag, hammock and basha. I thought it is a comforting sight to see the top of my basha covered in rain drops after a warm, dry night.

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Sgwd Gwladus

Woodlands Adventure

It was 6.45 am. Rain was lashing against the windows of Cleeve House as I rushed about with tea things. Checking the writing on my hand for the last minute things I had to do – fill up water bottles, get my top out of the dryer, get the batteries out of the charger – Dave arrived.

‘Morning!’ I beamed at him.

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Uchi Deshi Course

5th-7th June 2009

Uchi Deshi: A live-in student. A student who lives in a dojo and devotes him/herself both to training and to the maintenance of the dojo (and sometimes to personal service to the SENSEI of the dojo).

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