As we prepare to say good bye to 2017, I want to recognize what I think is the most important event for our dojo this past year – Kevin Ellwood sensei’s promotion to 5th dan.

Congratulations to our latest successful testing candidates!

During the annual Canadian Aikido Federation Fall Seminar, Osawa Shihan and the CAF Examination Committee presided over Dan grading.  BigRock Aikikai senior students Brad Meyers and…

Darn! Another injury. Well it IS a martial art. I guess we should just suck it up and expect it as part of our environment.Nothing could be further from the truth.At BigRock Aikikai, chief instructor Steve Erickson and the rest of the senior yudansha…

I gave a talk to my teen class students a couple of weeks ago.  It was sparked by feedback I had received from parents regarding comments they had heard while in the dojo – teens talking about other teens.  We’re talking about the kind of comments…

Recently, the parent of a student in my child class (6yrs to 8yrs) asked me the following question: “How do some of these techniques translate into effective self-defense?”  He was referring to the technique Shomenuchi Aikiotoshi.  If you’re not familiar…