Just Aikido

21/08/2026

Miyamoto sensei henka-waza August 2026 in Spa, Belgium

15/08/2026

Spa (Belgium) with Miyamoto sensei and friends!

07/07/2026

Yoko Okamoto is coming back to Barcelona!

Save the date for June 12-13th 2027, we will be posting more details and open registration by the end of this year!!

06/07/2026

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!

06/07/2026

Thank you Goska again for a beautiful photo and thanks to Karl for taking ukemi for me, which is not always easy… his face says it all ;)

18/05/2026

Some beautiful pictures of Yoko Okamoto sensei’s seminar In Valencia last April.

Thank you so much to Goska Smierzcalska for the photos, she has an incredible talent as a photographer.
She is even able to make me look good on most pictures and that’s a feat! 😂😅

16/04/2026

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!

13/04/2026

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

26/03/2026

It is with sadness that we hear about the passing of Claude Berthiaume sensei.

He was one of the most senior and probably technically finest remaining students of Kanai sensei. His technique was crisp and in his teaching he cared about students learning. But I remember not only the power in his technique but also his kindness and humor.

Aikido is losing some of its best, let‘s hope the coming generations can keep up and honor the tremendous work done by the ones that will be missed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Jeq7cT2J4

Aikikai Aikido Shihan Claude Berthiaume Sensei - Demo - USAF Summer Camp 1994(20 years ago)