It's a rare privilege to sit down with someone who has achieved mastery in two seemingly disparate disciplines. Tony Smibert Shihan embodies the Japanese concept of shuhari—the journey from learning to breaking free to transcendence—in both the martial and visual arts.

This is the first part of the long discussion I had with Bruno Gonzalez, 6th dan, and main Aikido instructor at Le Cercle Christian Tissier in Paris.

This is a highlights video of my first seminar at Aikinomichi e.V. in Emmendingen.

This summer I had the privilege of teaching a series of seminars across Europe, focusing on the roots of Aikido and their connections to Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu. A central theme was the study of classical techniques preserved in the densho and how they evolved into the movements we practice today. By revisiting these forms and looking at them through the lens of modern biomechanics, I aimed to show how tradition and contemporary practice can complement and enrich each other.

On July 27th, Yokohama AikiDojo proudly took part in the 21st Kanagawa Prefecture Aikido Federation Demonstration at the Kanagawa Budokan. Our dojo was represented by a group enbu featuring ten adult members, who showcased our commitment to inclusivity and the values of strong fundamentals, cooperation, and mutual respect. It was a pleasure to see several members perform for the first time, stepping onto the tatami with confidence and sincerity.

I have spent the last week of September in Yoyogi, to participate in the organization of the 14th International Aikido Federation Summit. I took this opportunity to sit down with several instructors and conduct some video interviews. The following video is a discussion that I had with Patricia Hendricks, 7th Dan Aikikai.

Last weekend I had the privilege of traveling to Korea with my colleague Mihaly Dobroka to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Korea Aikido Federation. The event brought together an impressive lineup of teachers, including Igarashi Kazuo Shihan, Takimoto Seizo Shihan, and Yoon Junhwan Sensei, as well as over two hundred practitioners from across the country. The atmosphere was both celebratory and deeply inspiring, as we reflected on the federation’s remarkable history and the vision of its founder, Yoon Dae-Hyun Sensei.

After demonstrating as part of the Kanagawa Aikido Federation dojo enbu last year, I was asked this year to demonstrate again, during the shidoin (instructor) enbu.

This video was filmed during a joint workshop in Tokyo that I gave with Ishi Masato Shihan, Kinoshita Etsuko Shihan, and Yamashima Takeshi Shihan.

I previously talked about the new series of discussions around Aikido that I call "AikiTalks". Thanks to the support of YouTube Japan, this series is now well under way and I am currently in the planing stages for the fourth and fifth installments. My most recent guest was my friend and former colleague at the International Aikido Federation (IAF), Mr Kei Izawa.

I am delighted to announce the recent release of a brand new video series. The format will consists in long, uninterrupted discussions between myself and a guest about a specific topic on Aikido or Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu.

Last December, I had the chance to travel to the Reunion Island for the first time at the invitation of the Saint-Pierre Aikido Club to give a nine-day seminar in the South of the Island. This invitation is the result of an encounter more than ten years ago with Stéphane Ethève and Yanis Hoareau during Philippe Gouttard's summer seminar in Mèze, where we had the opportunity to practice together. Nowadays, both of them are in charge of their club and they invite Philippe every year. They are also eager to broaden their horizons and that of their students, so they undertook to fly other teachers over and to my surprise, my name was on their list.