Applying a Growth Mindset to Aikido Practice

Kuzushi as Connection Research with Jan Nevelius Shihan

Every year in March, Jan Nevelius Shihan (7th Dan) visits NOLA Aikido to instruct at the friendship seminar series. Nevelius Shihan is one of our main legacy teachers, based at the Vanadis Aikido Club in Stockholm, Sweden. He has practiced aikido since 1975, but still remains humble and committed to endless research, and says he is always learning something new about this beautiful martial art of peace. In this episode, he delves into the obscure qualities of kuzushi (unbalancing), the importance of connection, and the power of intuition.  Tune in to discover the beauty of this martial art of peace and gain a deeper understanding of its intricate techniques and philosophy. Jan Nevelius Shihan’s most recent seminar was on March 15, 2024 to March 17, 2024. Your host Jaime Dunkle (4th Kyu) interviewed him in a studio space at Tulane University after the seminar ended, thanks to Media Services at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library!

Nurturing the Seeds of Compassion with Aikido Practice

In the latest (and long overdue) episode of Art of Peace, your host Jaime Dunkle (4th Kyu) interviews Weldon Mauney Sensei (5th Dan Aikikai) from Aikido and Wing Chun Martial Arts in Pensacola, Florida. Mauney Sensei shares his philosophies on the meditative qualities of aikido practice that ideally result in the awareness of eternal consciousness and compassion toward all beings. Mauney Sensei says the dojo can act as a “micro-universe,” where aikidoists enter as “cocooned humans” who contain the compassionate seeds of the universal self. But what does this mean for daily life? And once  these seeds are nurtured with martial arts training, how does one refrain from backsliding into unskillful habits that tend to perpetuate conflict, like aggressive reactivity and not considering the impact of expressed aggressions? Find out in episode 4 of the Art of Peace wherever you listen to podcasts, or use our direct link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/art-of-peace/  Mauney Sensei led a seminar at the NOLA Aikido dojo on July 8, 2023. The interview was recorded at the after party. Please pardon any jovial background noise.

How Does Praise Impact Aikido?

In this episode of Art of Peace, Brian Levy Sensei (Dojo Cho and Chief Instructor, NOLA Aikido) and your host Jaime Dunkle (4th Kyu) unpack questions around praise and its effects on learning.  How does praise impact Aikido practice? Research shows that effort-based praise has a positive impact on students in general because it empowers them to put effort into their studies in ways they can control and enact with agency. Whereas ability-based praise tends to neutralize students, rendering them helpless after a misstep. At the NOLA Aikido dojo, Brain Levy Sensei practices what Charles Colten Sensei [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VT8VVEptqL9wXQTo6TSPV] has shared about effectual pedagogy: the evidence-based method of praising three things that went well and suggesting one thing to try next time.  But what about empty praise from Aikido colleagues on the mats? Should there really be instruction coming from other students during a class that already has a teacher? The answer should obviously be: No. Are there ways to skillfully interrupt and dismantle these distractions and likely unconscious power dynamics that are just as detrimental to learning Aikido as ability-based praise? Listen to this episode to find out…

Beginner’s Mind and the Art of Self-Inquiry in Aikido

What does it mean to have a beginner's mind (shoshin)? Why is it important to ask what’s going on with the body and mind during Aikido practice? What’s the point of having a teacher? Daniel Nishina Sensei from Hibiki Aikido in Portland, Oregon discussed these topics and more in this episode of the Art of Peace. “Asking why can help you become yourself,” Nishina Sensei said during the interview. In this podcast, Nishina Sensei also mentions a time when Seishiro Endo Shihan encouraged students to focus on how to soften one’s fun'iki or vibe when asked about internal practice related to vibration. “I gave it a lot of thought: How do you control your vibe? How do you make your vibe more quiet, soft, friendly, warm, or whatever? How do you change your vibe?” Nishina Sensei said in the interview. Nishina Sensei brought his sharp yet poetic Aikido techniques to NOLA Aikido for a weekend seminar on Jan. 20, 2023 to Jan. 22, 2023. He kindly joined our podcast on the last day of the seminar. For more information about Nishina Sensei, go to: https://www.aikidohibiki.com/ [https://www.aikidohibiki.com/] Curious about making your own podcast? This one was brought to the app you're streaming from by way of Anchor.Fm [https://anchor.fm], an easy and free podcast hosting service that the Art of Peace podcast uses and highly recommends. Check it out!

Applying a Growth Mindset to Aikido Practice

Having a growth mindset is the courage to value consistent practice and intentional skill development without succumbing to debilitating self-doubt brought on by the frustrations of learning. This interview with Brian Levy Sensei, the chief instructor at NOLA Aikido, explores the growth mindset and how it applies to Aikido practice. Please note that this episode was unplanned. The recording was originally intended to inform a written article, not a podcast. And playing it back while writing is what sparked the inception of Art of Peace!