AikiCast-The Planet's First and Only Podcast about Aikido, Life, and all things Martial!

In this AikiCast interview series, Blaine talks with martial arts and meditation thought leader, Miles Kessler, founder and Dojo Cho of the Integral Dojo in Tel Aviv, Israel. Miles has created a 10 day telesummit called 'Aikido at the Leading Edge' with over 40 martial artists, thought leaders, meditation teachers, authors, and skilled trainers from a variety of disciplines. You can participate in the Aikido at the Leading Edge but YOU MUST REGISTER so that you can get a link to all of the activities. The great thing about the telesummit is that its completely free for the 10 days of the summit and for about 1 week afterwards. Use the link below to register for the summit: Aikido at the Leading Edge Telesummit Link Don't miss this one!! Here's the link to Miles Kessler's blog post about spiritual protection that we discussed in this episode: http://theintegraldojo.com/spiritual-protection/

In this episode, Blaine talks about some of the problems of running a martial arts business, explains what market myopia is, he discusses some of the opportunities that have been created by the CrossFit craze and expounds on creating so much value for the students that a 'hidden' market of potential new students opens up.

The 'welcome back' episode of 2016 wherein I explain where the podcast disappeared to but, more importantly, where its going from here forward. Cant wait to have you back on board! Join us on Facebook at: AikiCast Facebook Page Join us on Instagram at: AikiCast Instagram Page

Blaine tackles the topic of McDojos in this episode of AikiCast. If you dont know what a McDojo is then you owe it to yourself to listen to this one! There are lots of lessons to be learned from McDojos and Blaine helps put it into proper perspective. There's also a little history lesson about the real Chef Boyardee (think Spaghetti-Os and Ravioli) and how his vision helped him develop his own 'McDojo' type of business that eventually made him and his family fabulously wealthy.

In this episode Blaine discusses the rise of MMA (mixed martial arts) as a distinct and well known sporting style of martial arts training and competititon. He also tackles the tough question of whether or not MMA can be considered a separate and distinct martial art by itself or is it merely just a sport? Listen in as Blaine answers some of the questions he gets quite often from the AikiCast Nation regarding MMA and its current place in the martial arts world.

This is the final segment of the AikiCast special 3 part series addressing the difficult and highly charged topic of police brutality, police killing of unarmed citizens, and the standards by which police investigate themselves in use of force incidents. Blaine covers a vast number of topics in this 3 part series which includes busting 3 of the biggest myths surrounding the profession of policing, taking a critical look at several of the most recent killings of unarmed citizens by police officers, discussing the rules under which police officers conduct themselves and discussing how martial arts should be taught and used by law enforcement individuals as a force for good and for saving people, not for doing damage to more people. Topics covered in the 3 part series includes: the police murders of Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Dillon Taylor, Oscar Grant, Jonathan Crawford III, Tamir Rice, the tactics utilized by police officers around the country, the myth of the good cop, the myth of police protection, the myth of the danger of policing, Graham V Connor, Warren V District of Columbia, Joseph Lozito and Maksim Gelman, Officers Jesse Kidder, Bron Cruz, Timothy Loehman, Johanes Mehserle, Terrance Howell, and Daniel Pantaleo, the difference between a guardian and a warrior and the myth of the sheepdog protecting the sheep from the wolf. Show Notes and links: Law Enforcement Sites http://www.policeone.com/ http://www.officer.com/ http://www.policemag.com/ http://www.lawofficer.com/index.html http://www.lawofficer.com/articles/2015/06/applying-and-understanding-graham-as-a-patrol-officer.html Interesting article regarding Graham Vs Connor that talks about ‘reasonableness’ and how the officer needs to write their reports so as to be sure to explain how ‘reasonable’ they were in their actions. “Each key is no more or less important than the other, but provide for a foundation of how one can justify “reasonable” force. Your police reports should reflect the reasonableness that you used to determine when force was applied. Your definition of reasonable is all that matters, and SCOTUS has determined that time and time again.” http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf Report on Ferguson, Mo. police department by the department of justice. One can gain a sense of the report by reading the chapter titles. http://www.copblock.org/128554/full-body-cam-video-released-utah-police-killing-dillon-taylor/ Dillon Taylor shooting video http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/04/i-cant-breathe-eric-garner-chokehold-death-video Eric Garner choking video http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/nov/26/cleveland-video-tamir-rice-shooting-police Tamir Rice shooting video http://digg.com/video/wal-mart-surveillance-video-of-john-crawford-iii-shooting John Crawford shooting video http://www.mediaite.com/online/video-shows-police-cruelly-lying-to-john-crawfords-girlfriend-after-killing-him-at-walmart/ Video of police interrogating John Crawford’s girlfriend after his death http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3089495/New-video-shows-cops-taking-limp-Freddie-Gray-police-van-putting-leg-shackles-loading-head-bystanders-pleaded-officers-help-him.html Freddie Gray videos http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/04/ohio-police-officer-jesse-kidder-takes-down-murder-suspect-without-firing-a-shot/ Officer Jesse Kidder video Police Accountability sites: http://photographyisnotacrime.com/ http://policestatedaily.com/ http://thefreethoughtproject.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut/ Reddit forum devoted to police abuse http://www.copblock.org/129940/those-who-cant-fight-kill/ “The martial arts don’t work on the streets.” I’ve heard this statement by many nationally-recognized defensive tactics trainers throughout my career. I have always found two things quite ironic each time the statement has been made. First, many trainers...

This is part 2 of an AikiCast special 3 part segment addressing the difficult and highly charged topic of police brutality, police killing of unarmed citizens, and the standards by which police investigate themselves in use of force incidents. Blaine covers a vast number of topics in this 3 part series which includes busting 3 of the biggest myths surrounding the profession of policing, taking a critical look at several of the most recent killings of unarmed citizens by police officers, discussing the rules under which police officers conduct themselves and discussing how martial arts should be taught and used by law enforcement individuals as a force for good and for saving people, not for doing damage to more people. Topics covered in the 3 part series includes: the police murders of Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Dillon Taylor, Oscar Grant, Jonathan Crawford III, Tamir Rice, the tactics utilized by police officers around the country, the myth of the good cop, the myth of police protection, the myth of the danger of policing, Graham V Connor, Warren V District of Columbia, Joseph Lozito and Maksim Gelman, Officers Jesse Kidder, Bron Cruz, Timothy Loehman, Johanes Mehserle, Terrance Howell, and Daniel Pantaleo, the difference between a guardian and a warrior and the myth of the sheepdog protecting the sheep from the wolf. Show Notes and links: Law Enforcement Sites http://www.policeone.com/ http://www.officer.com/ http://www.policemag.com/ http://www.lawofficer.com/index.html http://www.lawofficer.com/articles/2015/06/applying-and-understanding-graham-as-a-patrol-officer.html Interesting article regarding Graham Vs Connor that talks about ‘reasonableness’ and how the officer needs to write their reports so as to be sure to explain how ‘reasonable’ they were in their actions. “Each key is no more or less important than the other, but provide for a foundation of how one can justify “reasonable” force. Your police reports should reflect the reasonableness that you used to determine when force was applied. Your definition of reasonable is all that matters, and SCOTUS has determined that time and time again.” http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf Report on Ferguson, Mo. police department by the department of justice. One can gain a sense of the report by reading the chapter titles. http://www.copblock.org/128554/full-body-cam-video-released-utah-police-killing-dillon-taylor/ Dillon Taylor shooting video http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/04/i-cant-breathe-eric-garner-chokehold-death-video Eric Garner choking video http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/nov/26/cleveland-video-tamir-rice-shooting-police Tamir Rice shooting video http://digg.com/video/wal-mart-surveillance-video-of-john-crawford-iii-shooting John Crawford shooting video http://www.mediaite.com/online/video-shows-police-cruelly-lying-to-john-crawfords-girlfriend-after-killing-him-at-walmart/ Video of police interrogating John Crawford’s girlfriend after his death http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3089495/New-video-shows-cops-taking-limp-Freddie-Gray-police-van-putting-leg-shackles-loading-head-bystanders-pleaded-officers-help-him.html Freddie Gray videos http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/04/ohio-police-officer-jesse-kidder-takes-down-murder-suspect-without-firing-a-shot/ Officer Jesse Kidder video Police Accountability sites: http://photographyisnotacrime.com/ http://policestatedaily.com/ http://thefreethoughtproject.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut/ Reddit forum devoted to police abuse http://www.copblock.org/129940/those-who-cant-fight-kill/ “The martial arts don’t work on the streets.” I’ve heard this statement by many nationally-recognized defensive tactics trainers throughout my career. I have always found two things quite ironic each time the statement has been made. First, many trainers making such a...

This is an AikiCast special 3 part segment addressing the difficult and highly charged topic of police brutality, police killing of unarmed citizens, and the standards by which police investigate themselves in use of force incidents. Blaine covers a vast number of topics in this 3 part series which includes busting 3 of the biggest myths surrounding the profession of policing, taking a critical look at several of the most recent killings of unarmed citizens by police officers, discussing the rules under which police officers conduct themselves and discussing how martial arts should be taught and used by law enforcement individuals as a force for good and for saving people, not for doing damage to more people. Topics covered in the 3 part series includes: the police murders of Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Dillon Taylor, Oscar Grant, Jonathan Crawford III, Tamir Rice, the tactics utilized by police officers around the country, the myth of the good cop, the myth of police protection, the myth of the danger of policing, Graham V Connor, Warren V District of Columbia, Joseph Lozito and Maksim Gelman, Officers Jesse Kidder, Bron Cruz, Timothy Loehman, Johanes Mehserle, Terrance Howell, and Daniel Pantaleo, the difference between a guardian and a warrior and the myth of the sheepdog protecting the sheep from the wolf. Show Notes and links: Law Enforcement Sites http://www.policeone.com/ http://www.officer.com/ http://www.policemag.com/ http://www.lawofficer.com/index.html http://www.lawofficer.com/articles/2015/06/applying-and-understanding-graham-as-a-patrol-officer.html Interesting article regarding Graham Vs Connor that talks about ‘reasonableness’ and how the officer needs to write their reports so as to be sure to explain how ‘reasonable’ they were in their actions. “Each key is no more or less important than the other, but provide for a foundation of how one can justify “reasonable” force. Your police reports should reflect the reasonableness that you used to determine when force was applied. Your definition of reasonable is all that matters, and SCOTUS has determined that time and time again.” http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf Report on Ferguson, Mo. police department by the department of justice. One can gain a sense of the report by reading the chapter titles. http://www.copblock.org/128554/full-body-cam-video-released-utah-police-killing-dillon-taylor/ Dillon Taylor shooting video http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/04/i-cant-breathe-eric-garner-chokehold-death-video Eric Garner choking video http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/nov/26/cleveland-video-tamir-rice-shooting-police Tamir Rice shooting video http://digg.com/video/wal-mart-surveillance-video-of-john-crawford-iii-shooting John Crawford shooting video http://www.mediaite.com/online/video-shows-police-cruelly-lying-to-john-crawfords-girlfriend-after-killing-him-at-walmart/ Video of police interrogating John Crawford’s girlfriend after his death http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3089495/New-video-shows-cops-taking-limp-Freddie-Gray-police-van-putting-leg-shackles-loading-head-bystanders-pleaded-officers-help-him.html Freddie Gray videos http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/04/ohio-police-officer-jesse-kidder-takes-down-murder-suspect-without-firing-a-shot/ Officer Jesse Kidder video Police Accountability sites: http://photographyisnotacrime.com/ http://policestatedaily.com/ http://thefreethoughtproject.com/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Bad_Cop_No_Donut/ Reddit forum devoted to police abuse http://www.copblock.org/129940/those-who-cant-fight-kill/ “The martial arts don’t work on the streets.” I’ve heard this statement by many nationally-recognized defensive tactics trainers throughout my career. I have always found two things quite ironic each time the statement has been made. First, many trainers making such a statement...

In this episode Blaine discusses his understanding of the meaning of the word 'Shugyo' which is typically translated as 'auster training' or 'intense training'. Blaine explains how he came to first understand the concept and how he has used the concept to enhance his life. Shugyo can be a descriptive concept and idea but also an active idea to be used as a way to find the things one knows they should be doing but are, for whatever reason, procrastinating on.

This Diamond Mining Friday Interview is with a good friend of mine, Joe Anshel Sensei. Joe is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Aikido and spent 4 years as an uchideshi (live-in student) under the renowned Fumio Toyoda Shihan. Joe is also a student of Zen meditation and brings a wealth of insights to this almost 3 hour long interview about Aikido, Zen, ukemi, Toyoda Sensei, being an uchideshi, and life in general. Enjoy!

Kicking off the AikiCast Diamond Mining Friday interview series with a special guest, Meido Moore Sensei. Meido Moore is the Chief Instructor and founder of the Shinjinkai Organization, as well as the founder and Abbott of the Korinji Zen Monastery in Wisconsin. Moore Sensei has been studying Zen and Martial Arts since the 1980's and has travelled all over the world teaching both Aikido and Zen as a full time instructor and Zen priest. The interview covers a whole bunch of topics ranging from Moore Sensei's time as an uchi deshi with Fumio Toyoda Shihan, his Zen training, his time and training with T.K. Chiba Shihan, his personal experiences and insights, his vision of the future of both Aikido and Zen training, and his thoughts on teaching and being a full time martial arts teacher. The links for Moore Sensei's websites mentioned in the interview are: Korinji.org (Korinji Zen Monastery) Shinjinkai.org (Shinjinkai Aikido Organization) Rinzaizen.org (Rinzai Zen Organization)

In this episode Blaine talks about an experience he had with Toyoda Sensei that wasnt so pleasant but how it ultimately lead to a better friendship with him. It happened while Blaine was working for him at the Japanese Culture Center in Chicago, IL. Toyoda Sensei misinterpreted a phone call that was meant for Blaine and ended up yelling at Blaine and making accusations that he was leaving Sensei to join the military. Although this wasnt true, it was the last straw for Blaine and he resigned his post at Tenshinkan Dojo. Blaine made his way back to his hometown where he began a small Aikido program at a health club that eventually grew into a large Aikido school. Throughout the year after Blaine left Chicago there was no contact with Toyoda Sensei since they were both angry with each other. However, after a particularly timely phone call from another Sensei to check in with Blaine, he received some advice that would ultimately lead him to go back to Chicago and patch up the relationship. What he learned through the process is a priceless life lesson which Blaine talks about in the show. Aikido in daily life-Taking Emotional Ukemi is all about how to take responsibility for everything that happens in our lives whether we feel we're responsible for them or not. Listen in for some more wisdom on how to be a stronger, healthier and more fulfilled human being through these martial lessons! Enjoy!

This episode of Diamond Mining Friday is a big one and an important one as it covers a topic that is, for some, controversial, and for others, a way of life. For Blaine, becoming a delibreate creator of experiences, opportunities, abundance, realtionships, and health began when he was an uchi deshi (live-in student) in Chicago. His study of Aikido and Zen lead him to begin studying what are often referred to as Universal Principles and the laws of cause and effect. Gaining an understanding of these principles lead him to seek out specific ways to utilize these principles for his own benefit as well as the benefit of others. Over the past 20 years, Blaine has been effectively using these principles to start several successful businesses, get in better shape and experience better health, eliminate toxic relationships and attract healthy ones, create opportunities that seemed distant or non-existent, and lead an overall extraordinary life and lifestyle. There's no talk about quantum physics and no secrets revealed since everything Blaine uses on a daily basis has been well known practice for thousands of years. The practices are literally as simple as breathing, walking, and thinking, although its not always easy to break the negative patterns that have become habit for so many people. Grab a pencil and a pad of paper for this one becuase there are literally life changing tips in this episode! If you're interested in hearing the private podcast on 'How using positive affirmations are causing the opposite of what you want!", head over to www.AikiCast.com and join the AikiCast Tribe today to start receiving the private podcasts.

In this episode of the AikiCast question and answer session, Blaine tackles 2 big topics: starting your own martial arts business and what to do about the current state of police abuses in the U.S. The first question from Paolo is about being a full time instructor and whether or not I recommend it. I give him my personal experiences from starting and running several businesses over the past 20 years and how to start a martial arts business, run it successfully and still maintain your passion for the art. The second question from Chris is about the current situations we see almost every week where somebody is either abused or killed by the police and what my thoughts are. I give him my viewpoint as a trainer of law enforcement as well as an informed citizen and concealed carry proponent. This episode is filled to the brim so get ready for some action!

In this episode of AikiCast Diamond Mining Friday, Blaine discusses the differences between a mere martial arts teacher and a true Sensei. Since the term Sensei connotes one who has 'gone before' the student, there is an understanding in eastern traditions that the Sensei was more than just a teacher. The Sensei student relationship was on par with the parent child relationship and highly respected in eastern cultures. Blaine breaks down the 3 most common types of teachers found in most martial arts schools today. 1. The Guru or Master- This individual demands a certain level of respect at all times, doesnt interact with his or her students outside of the martial arts school, is not tolerant of questions, is disdainful of students seeking instruction outside of the instructors guidance, and quickly reprimands those who disobey or mess up. 2. The Respected Mentor- This individual commands respect based on the quality of their character and instruction. They interact with the students on and off the mat in a similar manner. They require a modicum of respect and teach ettiquette and martial rituals as tools for growth. The Respected Mentor is sought out by others in the community for their sound advice and rational approach. Students often look to this type of teacher for advice on topics not related to the martial arts training. 3. The Trainer or Coach- This individual places high emphasis on the physical training and cardio vascular benefits of martial arts. He or she is laid back and friendly and imposes very few, if any, rules or ettiquette on the students. Dues are somewhat optional and classes feel more like a group of friends getting together to sweat. While each type of teacher has pros and cons, each student must choose what type of martial arts teacher he or she would like to learn from. In addition, each student must decide at some point what type of teacher she wants to become. Give it a listen and see where you fall on the spectrum.

In this episode of AikiCast-Diamond Mining Friday, Blaine discusses a conversation he had with Toyoda Sensei about having a lot of pain in his back, knees, and hips from seated meditation (Zazen) training at Tenshinkan Dojo. Blaine discussed the issue with Toyoda Sensei expecting him to excuse Blaine from the practice but the diamond of wisdom that was shared would forever change the way that he looked at pain, fear, and discouragement. The phrase 'this too shall pass' doesnt even come close to expressing the ideas that were given by Toyoda Sensei regarding how to deal with pain, as well as fear and the variety of other emotions that we all experience as human beings. Pull up a chair, open a cold one, put your feet up and get ready for a solid half hour of Zen and Martial Arts wisdom on this Diamond Mining Friday.

In this AikiCast Special Business Edition, Blaine goes into detail about what he considers to be the 'Top 5 Social Media Success Tips for Martial Arts Schools'. The tips and tactics discussed in this podcast can, and should, be applied to any small business wanting to see more internet traffic, higher search engine rankings, better engagement from Facebook friends and fans, and an overall increase in the potential clients, customers, and students. These tips are not, by any means, an exhaustive list of recommended practices but instead a basic starting point for many martial arts schools and small businesses not taking advantage of all the varied and various free marketing channels available today. There are a handful of social media tools that, in the long run, end up being wasted time with little to no return on an entrepreneur's time and energy while just a small handful of the social media tools, if used correctly and with a specific strategy, can do wonders for any martial arts school or small business in 2015. While these social media tips and tactics may be rudimentary and basic for many martial arts schools and entrepreneurs already using these tools, for others they will be new information that wasnt known prior to the podcast. Blaine uses several of his own businesses to test and track everything that is discussed in this episode and has seen great success in his own martial arts and real estate businesses in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His local website averages between 1500 and 2000 page views per month which is a phenomenal number of views and visitors for a non-franchised, local martial arts school. Most local Aikido and martial arts schools and dojos typically get 20 to a couple hundred page views and a handful of unique visitors each month depending on their marketing methods and how active they are using the social media tips and tactics discussed in the podcast. Listen, take some notes, subscribe on Itunes, rate and review, and feel free to email Blaine at blaine@aikicast.com with any questions or comments about this episode. To your success in 2015!

In this episode of AikiCast Diamond Mining Friday, Blaine explains how he learned the real meaning of the word 'Kime' as it was used by Toyoda Sensei during Aikido classes at the dojo. He also talks about the power of asking questions and the reason to re-examine one's beliefs periodically and ask the vital questions that may lead to breakthroughs and eliminating limiting beliefs. Blaine also introduces the concept of 'burning one's boat' after making a decision. This is a concept that comes from the Grecian army commanders ordering their soldiers to burn their boats once they landed on an enemie's shores. This makes it impossible to retreat and creates an intensity amongst the soldiers to succeed or die since there is no way out. Lots of great stuff in this episode! please subscribe and rate the podacst on ITunes

In this episode of AikiCast-Diamond Mining Friday, Blaine talks about the lessons he learned while being the traditional martial arts role of Otomo. The otomo is typically the person who accompanies the Aikido, Karate, Kendo, or any other sensei on travels and carries the sensei's bags, opens doors, and more or less, handles all of the mundane details for the teacher. This role is often confused with that of an uchi deshi since the otomo is quite often the uchi deshi but they are two separate roles. One does not have to be an uchi deshi to be the otomo for the sensei. The Otomo is an important role for both the sensei and the student because the role of otomo is one that requires a vast expansion of one's awareness and foresight in order to be successful. The otomo is expected to take care of the sensei's things while travelling or even just moving about town, but also to be a protector, a door opener, a loose change picker upper, a coffee getter, and also a social assassin! You'll have to tune in to found out exactly what a 'social assassin' does...enjoy!

Another AikiCast Nation member question and answer session where Blaine picks a few of the weeks listener questions and gives some thought provoking answers. Listen in as Blaine answers questions like: #1 James asks if he should quit karate after a couple decades of training and try Aikido, or some other martial art, or should he stick around like some of the old timers he sees still training in their 50's, 60's and 70's. Will he be abandoning his teacher by trying something else or would it be a mistake to keep doing somthing he's bored with? #2 Sarah asks for a list of techniques that wouldn't work in a 'real' fight. #3 Jody asks about what kinds of diets I recommend. Listen in and hear what my thoughts are on all these topics in this weeks AikiCast Q&A session. This weeks session is sponsored by The Aikdo Center in Grand Rapids, MI. Offering classes in Aikido, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Shinkendo.