We were delighted to be joined by the actress Caroline Redl from Berlin as our guest.

Caroline works with Aiki movement in the training of actors.

We were visited by Mark Walsh, a specialist in Integration Training.

He took this photo and wrote this review –

Last night I had the pleasure of training with these guys.

They do aikido as a movement art rather than martial art. I really enjoyed it and there was a lot of crossover with Original Play and Paul Linden’s work. The emphasis on expression, intuition, sensitivity and presence was refreshing. Paradoxically, this dancelike way of training is also of great benefit from martial perspective as it teaches aiki in its purest form, and a great workout to boot.

If you can get yourself to New Cross East London check them out.

Visit Mark Walsh site

Again, the comment was raised as to how freeform aikido is emergent from chaos. A quick search of the web bought up the view point that aikido was to wrest “order out of chaos”. This troubled me, as I ask myself “whose order”?

Maarten Vanden Eynde

For me, freeform aikido is a way of engaging with chaos, in chaos. I would like to think it can embrace mess, stumbling and confusion.

For me there is something important in being able to recognize, own and express as best I can, that this chaos is something I am part of, and is me… and you!

It is out of the mess, the “dancing leaves” * that novelty arises – creation!

* Robin Williamson The Waltz of the New Moon