Principles and Preferences
by Nick Lowry A wise old sensei once pointed out that if you take a whole variety of different hard stylists and watch their kata, an educated eye can tell them apart , but when you take that same lot … Read More
Transmission by Feel
by Nick Lowry A student once asked a zen teacher about “Transmission” and wondered how a clear message, a clear and undiluted dharma reality, could be transmitted from person to person across time and culture, from the historical Buddha’s time … Read More
Jutsu and Do
by Nick Lowry Innumerable times over the years students have come to ask the difference in JUTSU and DO, and for the most part my answers have always been to describe the basic surface distinctions; the historical, the philosophical, technical … Read More
Karma and Practice
by Nick Lowry Karma is about what we do to and with ourselves—about action and consequence and about the shape of our lives. There is something quite mechanical about karma—it is sometime taken as a punitive or rewarding idea or … Read More
Zazen and Aiki
by Nick Lowry Do not seek conflict and do not maintain guile. Do not hide or run away from conflict and do not blind yourself. Each transition requires awarness and precision — we tend to want to avoid problems and … Read More
Aikido Koan
by Nick Lowry Simple ink on paper, three figures in a line. Circle. Square. Triangle. Terry Dobson once asked O Sensei to tell him what the circle, square, and triangle meant in aikido.The master told him to figure it out … Read More
Teaching: Dependence and Empowerment
by Nick Lowry I have known teachers who over teach – they are helpful and giving — serve everything up on silver platters but who consequently have built very dependent students. Such are popular teachers; their students will love them … Read More
Shobu and Shiai: Winning and Losing in Ultimate Fights
by Nick Lowry Head to head in a competition-a real “technician” will probably get beat by a real “champion”- and a real champion will probably be able to repeat that amazing feat a few times in a given day–where the … Read More
Pre-Emptive Aiki: No-Touch Throws
by Nick Lowry Sugino sensei once said that if you are seeing aiki for the first time and you can understand what you are seeing, then you are not seeing aiki. It’s interesting seeing the beautiful variety of “no touch … Read More
What is the Best Martial Art?
by Nick Lowry There is no such thing as a superior martial art—only superior artists. It is meaningless to say aikido is better than judo or krav maga is better that aikido or MMA is better than Gracie Jujitsu – … Read More