After the training, hundreds if not thousands of people attended the awards banquet and enjoyed a good meal, the recognition of their peers and the hard work of the organizer, Master Alan Goldberg.  He did a great job.  It was a great time had by all.

http://www.martialartsallentown.com/

To some, a rope may seem like an innocuous tool, but with the right training it can be an effective weapon and quick way to subdue an opponent.  However, what is great about the rope is that anyone can carry it in their pocket and employ it when needed.

Nawajutsu also known as Hojojutsu, or the Japanese art of rope restraining, has gained attention in the last decade and can be said to have flourished in the time following the Edo period as a tool of law-enforcement under the Tokugawa Shogunate.  The development of formalized methods of tying prisoners weredeveloped to transport them across territories because of measures then in place mandating that a prisoner had to be handed off from one set of officials to another at the border of each territory with each law-enforcement group employing a different school’s or region’s often jealously-guarded methodology.

Also fostering the growth in the importance of nawajutsu was its use in the arrest of criminals and the codified methods of tying employed by various schools and agencies which sometimes provided numerous different methods of binding prisoners on the basis of considerations as different as social status,profession and sex of the prisoner—with all of this added to the methods devised by those directly in the employ of the court system in Edo itself.

On Friday, November 11^th, Members of Aikido Masters Self-Defense Academy and Fukasa-ryu Bujutsu kai (an Asian accredited martial arts organization) held a two-hour seminar in these esoteric tying methods.  During this session, students learned how to use the rope in a myriad of defenses against several different attack scenarios.  David Nemeroff, Soke-Dai taught not only how to block and strike effectively, but also how to tie up an attacker while being struck at, throw a person to the floor, apply a choke and restrain them so that they could be transported.  Students had a great time and were amazed at how versatile a rope canactually be.

Aikido Masters Chief Instructor David Nemeroff will be doing a book signing at Hava Java coffee house at  526 North 19th Street  Allentown, PA Saturday November 19th between 1-3pm.  David Nemeroff, Soke-Dai will be signing copies of his book “Enter into Aikido,” so stop by for some good coffee and conversation.  This is a great opportunity to speak to someone with over 25 years of martial arts experience and ask him questions about his book or about the martial arts in general.

Aikido Masters Self-Defense Academy’s director and chief instructor David Nemeroff, Soke-Dai hit the international airways on Friday after being interviewed on Australia’s Mix It Up Radio Show hosted by Anthony Puleo.  The three hour interview was a huge success with Nemeroff breaking the record for most listeners during that time period on the show.  He also drew listeners from five countries which had not listened to the show previously.  People called/wrote in  and asked about a wide variety of topics including Aikido history, the different arts taught at the Academy, Nemeroff’s book “Enter into Aikido” and Soke-Dai’s personal philosophy. Anthony, the host, helped keep the show moving with his excitement and personal interest in the martial arts.  You can listen to the interview by going to mixitupradio.net and downloading it from the podcast section of the site.  Thank you for all those who listened to the interview and supported the dojo.

Aikido Masters Self-Defense Academy will be marching in the Whitehall Township parade in the Lehigh Valley on Sunday, October 2nd.  The parade starts around 2pm.  Please come out, support the dojo and get a card good for a free week of lessons.  Feel free to say hello and speak to the students and Headmaster David Nemeroff, Soke-Dai.  Aikido Masters is located in the Lehigh Valley near Allentown, PA on Eberhart Rd.

In the serene setting of the Catskill Mountains, David Nemeroff, owner of Aikido Masters Self-Defense Academy and author of “Enter into Aikido,” ran a one of a kind week long wilderness training camp.  Participants came to partake several different aspects of martial arts including Aikido throwing and ground grappling techniques, aiki-hanbo stick locking, throwing and disarming techniques, and Qigong internal energy practices for health, stress relief and internal power.  With six hour of daily training, everyone conditioned their bodies, minds and spirit.  Words cannot describe the beautiful atmosphere students experienced while training under the three tier giant waterfall.  During the off-time, people went swimming, discussed the day’s techniques, cooked over a campfire and even encountered some wildlife.  One evening, David Nermeroff, Soke-Dai taught everyone about the many benefits of essential oils and how they can be incorporated into the healing process for the martial artist.  Not only did everyone learn a wide variety of new information, but also developed a comradery which I am sure will last for years.  Since the retreat was such a success, we are already getting interest for the 3-day training camp in 2012.  For those who interested in attending, or finding out more information, it will be held at Brookside Campground in Catskill, NY on Friday July 20th-22nd, 2012.  We will be covering topics such as Aikido throwing and ground grappling techniques, Aiki-Ken (Sword Techniques) and Qigong.  Call Nemeroff, Soke-Dai at 484-245-0567 to reserve your space!  Martial artists from all styles welcome.

Budo, or martial arts, provide the structure for a balanced lifestyle and a way to live harmoniously with those around us, and our environment.  They are a way of physical conditioning, a guide to develop the mind, an approach to improving health, a system to learn how to protect oneself, a code of conduct and a path towards spiritual enlightenment.  Authentic arts are comprehensive.   They are more than just a compilation of fighting techniques.  Budo gives the ability to change to those who are open-minded and willing to accept it.  For the samurai, budo provided precepts on how they interacted with others.  They were followed without question and this is one reason why the samurai were synonymous with honor.

Honoring your word may be the first step towards living better and cultivating trust from those you interact with on a daily basis.   We are in many ways, defined by our word.  When a person keeps his word, he is viewed as being trustworthy, reliable and someone people want to associate with. Conversely, when a person is not committed to keeping his word he is viewed as unreliable, dishonest and irresponsible.  When people think of you, there is no middle ground, either you keep your word or you do not.  In this regard, by keeping your word in business or interpersonally, there is a much greater chance of success in all your endeavors.  As budo-ka (practitioners of martial arts) and more importantly as a society, it is our responsibility to uphold these values and set an example for those we interact with and the next generations to come.  Acting with honor shapes the foundations on which you live and work, how you treat others, how people treat you, and provides stability in a chaotic world.  A person keeps his word by either doing what was promised or if that is impossible, which happens, take responsibility for your actions and do what it takes to correct the failure. In either case, it is the right thing to do.

In this regard, my goal is to rekindle virtues such as this through the martial arts and teach people how to live a balanced healthy life with confidence.    I am making a challenge to everyone. Honor your word for 30 days.  This means if you promise your child you will spend time with him or her, do it. If you give your word that you are going to hire someone to do a job, hire them even if a cheaper offer presents itself afterwards.  If you sign a contract, honor the contract.  Why?  Because it is what you said you would do.  This is how we start to restore trust in each other.  No one said that living with honor was supposed to be easy, but what message are we sending our children if we do not live this way.  If you cannot keep your word for even 30 days, what does that say about your character?  What does it say about our society as a whole?  Do not fear the responsibility and therefore limit the commitments you make, rather use this opportunity to make deeper connections with people.  Take the first step towards being a better you.

For more information about Aikido Masters Self-Defense Academy visit www.aikido-dojo.com or contact David Nemeroff, Soke-Dai at 484-245-0567.  David Nemeroff is the author of “Enter into Aikido” available at BarnesandNoble.com. Free trial lesson!

As part of any martial arts program, there must be a level of realism. Students must learn how to deal with uncontrived attacks from a wide variety of scenarios, including defenses against strikes, grapples, weapons and they must do so with intensity. However, there are other things that can be done to add a more realistic aspect to training. What many dojos forget to incorporate into their training regiment is the realism of training outside. Afterall, isn’t that a common place where people are attacked?
Outside, the ground is uneven, there can be rocks, sidewalks and branches to trip on, and the grass can be slippery. These are all things that are difficult to simulate in a dojo setting. By training outside, students develop improved balance, adaptability in their footwork, and awareness of their surroundings. Not to mention, it is a lot of fun training in the fresh air. Teachers can use the outdoors in a variety of ways. Randori in the rain helps to develop balance on slippery ground, meditation in the cold snow helps focus the mind, and practicing on hills or rough terrain can also improve skills and keeping one’s center. Our students even practiced one April evening in a thunderstorm.
By using what nature gives us, we can revive an element in our training that the Samurai used in their daily lives.

If you would like the opportunity to experience this first hand, come to the Aikido Masters Wilderness training camp this July.  This unique experience should not be missed!  Learn Aikido techniques and principles, Aiki-hanbo (3′ stick) locking and disarming techniques, special Aikido ground fighting methods, and Qigong (chinese energy cultivating practices).  Contact David Nemeroff, Soke-Dai immediately to reserve your spot, as Cabins are filling up.  484-245-0567 / aikidomasters@verizon.net.

Although many people try, learning any martial art at home is almost impossible to do correctly.  Really, a teacher is needed.  A teacher can teach the intricacies of the art that make it effective.  Things like proper stances, angles of entry, hand position of throws and pins, as well as how to create the pain correctly on locks can only be corrected by a qualified teacher who can detect errors and convey the corrections. Additionally, if you are by yourself, you never get to experience someone else attacking you.  In order to be considered effective as a martial artist, you have to be able to defend yourself against another person, not a pad or the air.  With that being said, there is value to practicing by yourself.  When you are not at the dojo, you can meditate to increase your ki, you can do certain exercises to improve strength and stamina, and you can practice kata to refine technique.  These things are complimentary to being at the dojo, not a replacement for being there. So, do some research as to which martial art will suit you best and find an asian accredited instructor who can give you what you need.  For more info. check out “Enter into Aikido.”  It will answer many other questions you have about the martial arts.