Ki-Aikido (Defense Skills) and Ki/MBO Mind/Body Awareness) classes for Adults. In Ki-Aikido, Power comes from rhythm and timing within an aware relationship.
Ki-Aikido (Shinshin Toitsu Aikido) is a specific style or school of the modern Japanese Martial Art system of Aikido. In Ki-Aikido, Aikido is grounded in and combined with Ki Development (Shinshin Toitsu Do), which is also taught as a separate, stand-alone topic. Ki-Aikido was developed by Koichi Tohei sensei and is now carried on by his son, Shinichi Tohei sensei and the Ki Society organization,
01/14/2026
Seminar last weekend, EKF New Year -- great time!
Here's the group photo from our New Year's celebration seminar last weekend. This was a great, well rounded workshop, and spirits were high. Congratulations to all those who received dan level promotions.
New month, new year. Same bills to pay.
Time for Tuition/dues to keep YOUR DOJO open.
Thanks.
Holiday hiatus is over; regular class schedule resumes Jan. 4, 2026
In the new year you can start a new adventure.
Come to any class (or several) free.
01/03/2026
Thanks, Brandon. Flipped and zoomed in a bit. The reversed Ki kanji bugged me. ;-)
01/03/2026
A good friend Alina Kordesch visited today.
12/29/2025
Our friends to the north.
Need a fun way to get fit and relax after a busy holiday season? Take a look at our aikido classes starting at $40/month! Our new session kicks off on January 6 with adult and kids classes. We’re also launching our new caregiver and child classes, which is a new exciting way for kids and their loved one to experience aikido together. Check out https://kiaikido.ca/current-classes for details and sign-up!
12/26/2025
Here is a very nice 1969 Chicago TV report on the Illinois Aikido Club. Pre-Ki Society but clearly imbued with Tohei Sensei's Ki teaching. Tohei Sensei at the time was Chief Instructor and Shihan no Shihan (teacher of teachers) at Aikikai HQ in Japan.
Thanks to Kagan Ariki sensei of U of Chicago Ki-Aikido club for posting.
1969 Local Chicago (NBC) TV segment about Aikido at Illinois Aikido Club 7-minute black-and-white film explaining the Japanese martial art of Aikido as practiced at Illinois Aikido Club (known today as Chicago Aikikai) when the do...
12/19/2025
Athens Ki-Aikido has been located in the ACEnet Athens campus since 2012; we are not the typical kind of "business" ACEnet usually helps and supports, but they have been a great landlord. It is unlikely we could have had our own dojo space (as we do here) if we'd had to pay standard Athens rents.
ACEnet does a lot of good in this Appalachian area of SE Ohio.
Learn more about what their main focus is by watching this video.
ACEnet Mission 2025 ACEnet is a living organism that keeps adapting & changing to the people we work with: to our clients & to the needs of a community. We do economic developme...
Thoughts about HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PRACTICE Ki-Aikido?
My local teacher, in my "home" dojo, the late Dr. Andrew Tsubaki Sensei, one suggested that "If you are only coming to practice once a week, you are losing ground! Twice a week, you could be holding your developmental position. To be advancing in skills and understanding you should be training at least 3 times a week!"
Tsubaki Sensei was a college professor, used to that type of education, and to a student population dominated by college students with lots of time on their hands.
My own opinion is that "How often" depends on your particular life situation and also what Ki-Aikido (or any other such life-art) means in your life.
For many people Ki-Aikido is a hobby, a fun and perhaps useful supplement to their other activities, and their frequency of training will vary over time, now more frequently, now less. There is nothing wrong with this, and such folks should come when they can, when it suits them and their life moment.
For me, and a very few other folks I know, Ki-Aikido is my life practice. The proper frequency of training for ME, and for such folks, is: as often as possible.
Now everyone over the years has many life-issues and conflicts and choices must be made. Sometimes -- even for deeply dedicated people -- it just isn't feasible to come often. That's fine. Come when you can. Keep coming back to the dojo when you can. Come as often as is possible. But take care of your life responsibilities also. Let your life be your dojo.
This is my opinion. See you (sooner or later) in the dojo. Or maybe in the street.
Upcoming events December & January & more
Dec. 21-Jan. 4 DOJO HIATUS -- NO regular classes
Jan. 3 (Sat). 2026 -- HQ New Years Zoom -- 7:30-9 PM in dojo (or you can view it by yourself)
Jan. 4 Sunday REGULAR CLASS SCHEDULE RESUMES
Jan. 31 (Sat) MKF Kobori Sensei ZOOM class - 6-7;30 pm in dojo.
Farther out:
(Likely) May ??? -- MKF Kobori Sensei Seminar (in-person) in Houston EDIT exact dates tentative, May still likely.
(Conformed) October 19-21 (Mon-Wed) WORLD CAMP in Chiba JAPAN.
(Tentative) Before or after WC -- MKF Special training with Kobori Sensei in Tochigi (Ki no Sato) JAPAN.
Details in Dojo or contact for more info.
12/02/2025
The only Dojo of this type in Ohio, or in surrounding states. Right here in Athens.
11/25/2025
The dojo will be OPEN during this ACEnet Open House event and everyone is welcome to come by and discover what this Ki-Aikido stuff is REALLY about. (We'll tell ya, but we don't have to kill ya.)
Ki-Aikido (Shinshin Toitsu Aikido) is a specific style or school of the modern Japanese Defensive Art system of Aikido. In Ki-Aikido, Aikido is grounded in and combined with Ki Development (Shinshin Toitsu Do), which is also taught as a separate, stand-alone topic.
Ki-Aikido was developed by Koichi Tohei sensei and is now carried on by his son, Shinichi Tohei sensei and the Ki Society organization, Shinshin Toitsu Aikido Kai, headquartered in Japan.
Aikido is a modern defensive art system with roots in traditional martial arts, practiced for awareness, health/fitness/wellness, and spiritual/personal exploration, as well as self-defense.
Aikido is a paradoxical practice because it is a martial art that teaches not-fighting; it is often called “The Way of Peace”. The context of training is a combat situation - someone “attacks” and another “defends”. Aikido offers dynamic self-defense on a physical level and also, by extension, crisis/conflict resolution skills useful in the emotional and psychological context of daily life; in personal and business situations. In the ideal practice, an attack is controlled without anyone - including the attacker who intends to kill you - coming to harm. Practice is athletic and (sometimes) physically demanding, but non-competitive (not a sport) and non-aggressive.
In Ki-Aikido, Power comes from rhythm and timing within an aware relationship. Focus is more critical than strength. The "Aiki" attitude is one of calm alertness rather than anger or fierceness. Practice is filled with smiles, laughter, cooperation, and also a sincere earnestness.
This should not belie the fact that Aikido can be an extremely effective method of self-defense, and is used as a basis of many police/correctional restraint and control courses.
Ki-Aikido promotes fitness, but does not require practitioners to be in exemplary physical shape.
Shinshin Toitsu Do - or Ki Development - is a practice of Mind/Body Awareness using posture, breathing, physical exercises/explorations and meditation to directly experience Ki or Oneness of Mind and Body. Related to Yoga and Qigong, Ki Development is a unique approach to this experience - simple and straight forward.
Shinshin Toitsu Do underlays all practice of Ki-Aikido, or can be studied as an independent (non-martial art) practice. Athens Ki- Aikido has regular weekly Ki Development classes and Breathing and Meditation Practice sessions.
Class Schedule, Fees, and Membership information:
http://ki-aikido-athens.net/schedule.php