sakumeikan

Hi Joe,

just noticed that Bill Coyle passed away on Monday.

Another of the old ones gone sadly

Phil Smith

Hi Joe,

No, no weapons involved. It was just an exercise where in seiza, uke approches from behind slowly and chops at your neck, slowly and the idea is to anticipate the strike and duck. It was not taken as a serious technique as such, more a 'feel the intent' exercise. We only did it for a few minutes before moving onto something else.

Hi Joe
well first of all thanks for your interest. However, I live far, far away from Athens (10 hours drive approximately). However, I am not really concerned about finding a dojo. There's two dojos near my place, but, I don't really know how good they are. I've heard that they'll do the job though.

For how long have you been doing Aikido?

You are welcome ...which blog ?

Regards

Smurf

Sure. I'm currently active in Russian Sambo. I'm a purple belt and assistant coach at the school where I train. Brenden Bohannon is the head coach and a black belt under Lance Campbell.
I've got a blue belt in BJJ, and while I use some 10th planet and orthodox BJJ movement, I'm really more of a Sambo guy. Same for Catch as Catch can, judo, really any wrestling I fancy tends to work its way in. I'm only 7th kyu in Bujinkan and don't actively participate in a Bujinkan school except once a month or two, but what I learned in my time there colors my training everywhere else.
I've got negligible experience in capoeira, muay thai, soviet and american boxing, TKD, Satori Iai, and lots of other things which primarily affect my striking, which is more or less an MMA hybrid on a Bujinkan framework.

But as for tangible qualifications, I'm a purple belt Sambo assistant coach and BJJ blue belt, with a more or less meaningless TKD black belt in my younger years.