Just Aikido

Miyamoto sensei henka-waza August 2026 in Spa, Belgium

After class of her last seminar in Spain, Yoko Okamoto sensei asked a few of us to improvise a few techniques for a video shoot to encourage young people to start practicing Aikido…

I was caught a bit of guard with the sudden request but I guess it is always best when you can not rehearse anything beforehand. Thank you to Karl for the dance, it is always fun to practice with you!

Yoko Okamoto sensei free practice after last weekend’s class in Valencia.

After keiko, sensei ushered some of us together and told us she wanted to try out some stuff. Not a demonstration, not a class, it’s a free practice and this is what this video showcases.

I love the idea of her just trying stuff out (I like to do it a lot myself, too). Especially at this high level with her being such a renowned teacher, I believe this shows how much Yoko Okamoto sensei just loves the practice of Aikido for the sake of practicing.

This is something many teachers forget after practicing for years: when you leave all the fuzz and buzz behind, the recognition, the big audiences, the certificates, the ceremonies, etc. the actual reason we are on the mat is because we love the practice of Aikido!

Yoko Okamoto sensei kata dori kokyo in Valencia, Spain.
It was so great seeing Yoko Okamoto sensei again on the mat. Big crowd, lots of energy and as always, the teaching of sensei was fantastic!

Video (c) Pilar Pérez