The Reception of the Non-Magician
At the last of the three special classes I gave in California in March, 2026, I encountered Scott Berg Sensei of Aikido of Alamo. It was an interesting exchange that came with many teachable moments and a new friendship. Months later, I received an email from Berg Sensei. While I was glad to hear that he enjoys reading my blog, I was even more delighted by his sharing his with me. https://aikidoofalamo.substack.com/ After reading His post 'Aikido and Speech Therapy', I decided to use the lesson from that story as the theme of the practice for the night. It was an evening with a small crowd. When this happens, I often take requests from students, turning practice into Aikido clinic. Someone suggested doing something about staying connected. Wish granted! For appetizer, I prescribed a katatetori gyakuhanmi back stretch -- ikkyo undo start, get out of grip, switch hands, extend forward for back stretch -- all without nage moving his feet. The a...
