[Jun. 23] Interview with Manon Soavi for the release of Itsuo Tsuda, The Anarchist Master — The Art of Living Utopia, published by L’Originel (Obernai, France). Interview conducted by Jean Rivest for the Réseau Vox Populi channel in Montreal on 20 May 2023. Manon Soavi is an aikidōka and martial arts teacher in the Itsuo … Continue reading The Philosophy of Non-Doing. Meeting with Manon Soavi
[Apr. 23] Interview with Manon Soavi for the publication of Itsuo Tsuda, The Anarchist Master — The Art of Living Utopia, published by L’Originel (Obernai, France). By Louise Vertigo, on AligreFM radio programme Respirations, 17 February 2023 broadcast live. Listen to the podcast here [in French] or read the [English] transcript below: Would you … Continue reading The Path of Itsuo Tsuda – Interview With Manon Soavi
[Oct. 22] We are delighted to announce the publication of Manon Soavi‘s book Itsuo Tsuda, The Anarchist Master, published by L’Originel – Charles Antoni (France). Delivery delays are affecting distribution, but it is already possible to order it from your bookshop (which we recommend) or online from the publisher (€19 plus €2.50 postage for France) … Continue reading Itsuo Tsuda, The Anarchist Master
The following notes serve to trace the origins and important moments in the preparation and conduct of the Misogi ceremony on January 1st as practised in the dōjōs of the Itsuo Tsuda School. They cannot replace the oral transmission and experience of the ceremony; they are guidelines, not a set of mandatory instructions. To help … Continue reading The Misogi of January 1st
When visitors walk through the door of the dojo, after pausing for a moment, they often exclaim, ‘How lucky you are to be here!’ Over 200m² of tatami mats in the heart of Paris, a cosy coffee corner, a small garden – it’s quite something! However, it’s not a matter of luck, but rather the … Continue reading Tenshin Dojo – ‘Every Day is a Good Day’
When Tsuda Itsuo returned to France in the early 1970s, he wanted to build a bridge between East and West, to introduce this culture so different from his own to what he himself had discovered through his research on ‘ki’: ways to awaken sensitivity and rediscover inner freedom. He saw in Aikidō, which he practised … Continue reading In Complete Autonomy – Yuki Hô dojo
This old Chinese proverb is the source of many martial arts, both Chinese and Japanese, but we often find it very difficult to live by it on a daily basis. Our society leads us to be either dominant or dominated, strong or weak, fighting or giving up. Staying the course without being rigid, bending without … Continue reading Bamboo Bends but Does Not Break
by Manon Soavi The opening of a new place to practise is always a joy, which is why we are delighted that a new dojo is opening in Pescara, a city located in the Abruzzo region on the Adriatic coast. Manola D. P., who, together with a group of people, was behind the creation of … Continue reading Dôjô, Perpetual Motion
by Manon Soavi Our world is sick with violence (whether physical, verbal, psychological, symbolic, social, economic, etc.), sick with a dominant model based on competition, appropriation and fear that has been in place for centuries. From the powerful who own the world to our entertainment and media, violence is everywhere. The world often leaves us … Continue reading The World We Live In
by Manon Soavi Did you know that Morihei Ueshiba, one of the greatest budoka of the 20th century, would shout angrily whenever he saw his students practising: ‘No one here is doing aikido! Only the women are doing aikido!’? How could a Japanese man with a traditionalist view of the family and the place of … Continue reading Fukiko Sunadomari and the Women Erased from History
The search for inner freedom in the practice of Aikidō and Seitai by Andrea Quartino Restrictions on freedom of movement are easing [May 2020 lockdown], although the timing and manner remain uncertain. For those who practise Aikidō in a dojo of the Itsuo Tsuda School, the day when they will be able to resume … Continue reading I Go Rediscovering Freedom