Capitol Hill Aikikai

What does an Aikido instructor look like, really?

The Takeaway Of The Takeaway "You are a martial art teacher? 😮 You don't look it!" I got that from a lot people. Do martial art teachers have to LOOK a certain wa...

Not just exhilarating, can be mind blowing, too! 🤯

White Crane Spreads Wings Our Taichi teacher, Glen, calls Aikido "the Japanese Taichi". Not only do both arts possess a mindful and meditative quality, they actuall...

Learn the difference of a good fight and futile resistance.

Destiny Bruce Lee once said martial arts is about making the most of what you already have. Keyword: ALREADY. I find this an interesting idea beca...

Graduates of Safe Falling class (Spring 2026) at Wheaton Rec Center:
Would you leave your review about the class in the comment section below, please? Thank you for your help. 🙏

What you see vs what you think you see. It may all be just a projection of yourself.

The Life of Pi The Safe Falling class I teach at the rec center is quickly coming to an end. It is a very popular class. Not only was the class filled wi...

To the eye of the beholder. 😍

The Stinky Herb I am a person of many side gigs. To most friends, my main side gig is being an Aikido instructor in the evening. Everybody knows I am not a...

You cannot make things happen, but you can let things happen.

The Gorilla Woman Our dojo has a new member from Singapore. N is a very smart and very petite lady. At first glance, I thought she was a child. I was aston...

Did someone say "Failure is the mother of success"?

Mistaken By Mistakes I have been teaching low impact Aikido for seniors in our local recreation center for a while now. I never expected teaching seniors to be ...

Good pedagogy and passion can make a difference in any art training.

The Art Of Teaching Of An Art Teacher With the best dumb luck in the world, I ran into A by signing up for her drawing class at the local rec center. Being passionate about art,...