We are pleased to share a Girl Scout Cookie option that benefits the dojo community. Here is the link to purchase from Alan Sensei's daughter. Thank you for supporting our local young people. digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/anna76...

We're talking with the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival about an exhibition in April. As the plans develop, we'll have more information to share. It's a fun event for the whole family. sfcherryblossom.org

We are having a great time in the youth class. As many of our students are younger with the current enrollments, here is a helpful video on how to put on the jacket and belt. Hope you like it.

We are pleased to share a beginner series on Fridays in March (6pm arrival and 7:30pm pack up). If you would like to start practice, it's a wonderful time. The series is free for dojo members or you can reach out through the website for payment options. aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...

"May his passage remind us to look deeply, love deeply, and continue to learn and share Aikido deeply, as we live our precious lives with full commitment." – Linda Holiday Sensei aikidosantacruz.org/motomichi-an...

We get the great honor of sharing Studio 12 with UpSwing Aerial Dance & Company. They are hosting a youth summer camp for ages ten to sixteen. You can learn more here: www.upswingaerialdance.org/summer-camp

We are gathering at Picante after class on Sunday, and it's a beautiful chance to get to know each other. Then two weeks later we begin the spring promotion season. See you there. aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...

We are delighted to share this post from Dean Gloster on YA Outside the Lines. It's about how we can show up for each other with a depth of care. @deangloster.bsky.social yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com/2026/01/adio...

"Techniques employ four qualities that reflect the nature of our world. Depending on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing like water, or as empty as space." O Sensei @aikiartscenter.bsky.social

"If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right through them and avoid their attacks. And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth." - O Sensei

It's always fun to see photos from the archives. Here we are four years ago, with Zoe that came up in the youth classes and Ronn Sensei that is teaching in our re-launched youth program. We are open for ages seven to twelve on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The youth program is going strong. We are learning how to count in Japanese, how to work with our own power, and how to support each other in learning. It's a fun group that is leveling up together.

It's such an honor to publish Dean Gloster in Spoon Knife 6 (Rest Stop) and Spoon Knife 9 (Numbers). You can get to know him through this wonderful aikido interview. aikiarts.com/dean-gloster...

We are going strong with free classes at Aiki Arts Center this month. It's a chance to learn the skills of play and calm in a supportive group. If you are in the Bay Area and looking for a practice, come on through. I am teaching tonight, show up at 6pm. @aikiartscenter.bsky.social

We are having fun in the youth class. Today we jumped up this flight of stairs while counting to three in Japanese. There was also time to whack sticks (taller than the students in several cases) and do forward rolls. It's a playful group.

Here is a video on the complementary roles of nage (the person who throws or pins an attacker) and uke (the person who provides an attack for the nage to work with). aikiarts.com/video-partne...

Youth program updates: Our Tuesday class will be led by Azzia Sensei and Ronn Sensei, and the Thursday class will be led by Azzia Sensei and Hao Sensei. Students learn coordination, bravery, and creativity in a playful setting. See you there. aikiarts.com/instructors/

When we were young: the Aiki Arts Center group six years ago. @aikiartscenter.bsky.social

We have three spare mats that anyone can take home for extra rolling and side fall practice (they also make nice benches when folded up). Much like the mats we use in open hand classes, they are twelve feet by six feet when expanded.

We've got two more weeks of free classes for adults. It's a wonderful time to start your training, and you can learn more about the art in this fabulous interview with Nick Walker Sensei. aikiarts.com/insights-for...

"The better approach is to be willfully ignorant of everything else you need to do, while giving full attention to one task at a time. In a sense, a lumberjack can only chop the tree in front of him or her, and can’t do anything with a bunch of half-chopped trees." Peter Hollins Learn Like Einstein

We are so happy to present Mike with the ten year mug. He started training right after Zoe, and engaged fully by practicing with the kids and adults from the beginning. Thank you for the warmth and dedication you bring to the group. @mikejungwroteabook.bsky.social

We have promotions, community meals, and holiday schedules on the calendar. Here is the link so you can plan ahead. And new adult students practice free this month (January) so it's a lovely time to start training. aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...

We are ready for youth class this afternoon. The students take turns ringing the gong that starts practice and choosing the stickers of the day.

We are open with a regular schedule on Monday, January 19 (MLK Day). As orientation for anyone new: we gather at 7:30pm for sticks practice, and do this class in street clothes. You can simply show up with a water bottle as we have spare sticks.

We are delighted to celebrate Zoe in achieving ten years of practice. They started in the youth program and are now a brown belt in the adult ranks. As a bonus, they are taller than pretty much all of the adults.

We are pleased to share that Eli is promoting to 5th kyu (second level orange) on Sunday, February 15. As orientation for anyone new, the promotion happens during the regular class, so please plan on showing up at 12:30pm and staying until 2:30pm.

We are delighted to celebrate ten years of practice with Dean Gloster. In addition to preparing for black belt later this year, he is also a writer, brightening the lives of his readers.

We are on a regular schedule again on Friday, and then on Sunday we are gathering at Picante after class. It's a celebration of fifteen years at the studio.

Next week, we are handing out ten year anniversary mugs to Zoe, Mike, and Dean. It's an amazing foundation from which we can experiment, play, and grow.

We are on a regular schedule again next Friday, and this also begins a month of free classes for new students. If you have friends and family that want to come practice, it's a great time. We'll keep it light and focus on the fundamentals.

It's been a fantastic year of practice at @aikiartscenter.bsky.social. We are on a short winter hiatus and return in January. That also starts a free month of classes for new students. If you are in the Bay Area and looking for a practice (with friendships), we look forward to meeting you.

Thank you for a beautiful year of practice. We are on winter hiatus and return on Friday, January 2. See you at the dojo.

"Creativity isn't magic. It's connection, repetition and courage." - Daniel Pink

My #aikido dojo, the Aiki Arts Center in #Berkeley, California, is opening up all classes in January to beginning students for free! Please spread the word if you've got people in the Berkeley/Oakland area! #somatics #baysky #consciousness #fitness #awareness #mindfulness #mindbody aikiarts.com

We are delighted to share that new students in the adult aikido classes can practice for free all month in January. You can get a sense of the community on our dojo blog. aikiarts.com/dojo-blog/

We are pleased to share a project from Andrej Diamantstein Sensei of the Nishi Kaigan Iaidō Dojō. He is starting a dojo in Manila and looking for funds to get set up. If you want to support this effort, here is more information. www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2XS... www.gofundme.com/f/a-iaido-do...

As many of you know, Nick Sensei and Azzia Sensei co-own a publishing company. Autonomous Press had a presence at a holiday book shopping event this weekend, and gave away plenty of dojo postcards. @autonomouspress.bsky.social

In the youth class today, our students got stickers for joy and bravery. We are learning skills for approaching challenge as well as coordination and movement.

We are opening up the youth class on Tuesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 8 for free to new students. It's a great message to share with Bay Area parents. aikiarts.com/kids/ aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...

"The feeling of completion must be completely transmuted into the heart of gratitude and harmony. If I am able to do that, I will transcend issues of relative strength or skill.” - Anno Sensei

We have promotions on the calendar for next year, including two new black belts in September. See you at the dojo. aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...

We're delighted to host a table at Pints and Pages in Oakland next Saturday. It's a wonderful chance to do your holiday shopping. And thank you Bay Area Book Fest and Two Pitchers Brewery for putting this together.

"I find aliveness within the consistency. Early in my practice, I thought a technique was a fixed set of motions I needed to do consistently each time. Now I think each application of a technique needs to be adapted to each partner and all the other variables." aikiarts.com/insights-for...

If you're in the Bay Area next week, come hear Hao Tran read from his award-winning story Red Mud. He also has a full length book, Skinny Woman in a Straw Hat, with more projects in the works.

Happy holidays! We are open with a regular schedule through Tuesday, December 23. Then we go on a short hiatus and return on Friday, January 2. You can see a full list of upcoming events here: aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...

We have dojo buttons on the way. Steve Sensei is generously making them for community use. Stay tuned for your swag.

Holiday schedule: Adult classes are open through Thanksgiving. Our last class of the year is Tuesday, December 23. Then we return to regular schedule on Friday, January 2. See you at the dojo.

We are opening up the youth class on Tuesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 8 for free to new students. If you know parents in the Bay Area, it's a great message to share. aikiarts.com/kids/ aikiarts.com/upcoming-doj...