Ki Aikido: Teaching Children
I decided to put down some thoughts about my experiences teaching Ki Aikido to children in Portland.
Category Archives: portland
Portland Japanese Garden 2024: photo album
I visited the Portland Japanese Garden in April 2024 for the first time in quite awhile, where I was treated to its many beautiful views, further enhanced due to the light drizzle that made the colors that much brighter. I took a handful of pictures so I thought I would share some of them here… Read More »
Why I Train in Ki Aikido
I decided to write up the main reasons I continue to train in the martial art of Ki Aikido extensively for several years, and plan to continue to do so.
Manga review: Oyasumi Punpun (おやすみプンプン) by Inio Asano (浅野いにお) [Volume 1]
When exploring the spacious Kinokuniya in download Portland the other day, I couldn’t decide what to buy so I ended up picking up on a whim the first episode of “Oyasumi Punpun” by Inio Asano. It has a pretty simple cover that is pure yellow, except for an embossed image on the front that I… Read More »
Thoughts on Mochitsuki 2020 (a Japanese festival in Portland)
I visit Mochitsuki Japanese festival in Portland this year, for the first time in three years, and was pleasantly surprised. I’ve included a slideshow of a few pictures I took.
Ukemi: Aikido and the art of rolling with the punches
A discussion about “ukemi” (受け身), a core part of aikido and one of the things I really enjoy about this traditional Japanese martial art.
A bittersweet afternoon at Powell’s bookstore
Powell’s Books is considered to be the largest independent bookstore in the world, with their “City of Books” location in Portland containing over one million books across over 1.5 acres of space––a venerable labyrinth of books that is a must-see place for any book lover. With all the Japanese culture in Oregon, it’s no surprise… Read More »
Japanese piano shopping in Portland (Yamaha baby grand G2 vs. upright U1)
In recent years I have been spending a good portion of my hobby time on Japanese-related stuff (studying, reading, translating), but before I got into Japanese I spent a lot of time playing a few musical instruments, particularly piano. While this post will be a little off-topic compared to my usual focus, I thought my… Read More »
en Taiko: Japanese drumming at its finest
I’ve been exposed to Japanese taiko (太鼓) drumming from a young age, having seen several performances at the Morakami Japanese Museum & Gardens in South Florida. While I do enjoy watching taiko performances, to be honest I started getting a bit bored of them; not only because they seemed to change little from year-to-year, but… Read More »
Karesansui (枯山水): The art of Japanese rock gardens (in your own backyard?)
When we chose our latest place to live, we decided to give priority to inside the house and less concern for the backyard. Not only is our backyard small, but a large patio covers up a big portion of the grass, leaving an awkwardly-sized space that isn’t good for much of anything. I guess we… Read More »