Aikido of Asheboro

Due to the persistent snow and cold nighttime temperatures resulting in refreezing we will not have class tonight, Monday, February 2, 2026.
Everyone continue to stay safe and warm.
If you are able, use this weather induced pause from our busy-ness to rest, reflect and spend quality time with those you are with. - Brad Thomas Shihan.

Due to the snow, we will not have class today, Sunday, February 1, 2026. Everyone stay safe and warm.
I encourage you to spend time in Sabbath today, pausing from your busy-ness, spending time in prayer and meditation, and recognizing the gift of God’s creation.

Due to the inclement weather , we will not have class today, Sunday, January 25, 2026. Everyone stay safe and warm and praying for no power outages, but enjoy the beauty of it all!

Happy New Year from everyone at Ki Shin Kai Aikido of Asheboro!

Good morning 🌞
We will not have Sunday class tomorrow, December 28th, but will pick back up on Monday, December 29th.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
- Brad Shihan

AIKIDO — The Forgotten Art Behind Modern Action Cinema

- Michael Benner, Chairo Obi Ikkyu (茶帯一級)
Aikido of Asheboro
Collective Horsemanship (Michael Benner)

Most people remember Equilibrium for Christian Bale’s breathtaking Gun Kata, that mesmerizing dance of precision and calm in the midst of chaos. What many don’t realize is how deeply that movement echoes the spirit of Aikido, the art of balance, flow, and composure when everything around you unravels.

While Aikido may have inspired some of the flow and philosophy, especially the concepts of centering, economy of motion, and remaining calm in combat, we also have to acknowledge that the foundation of Gun Kata showcases tactical geometry. It blends real firearm stances, sightline logic, and probability modeling of bullet trajectories, not traditional Aikido forms. Yet that’s where the connection deepens.

Because Aikido, at its core, was born from the battlefield. It was forged from arts that dealt with swords, spears, and armor, where understanding lines, angles, timing, and human response wasn’t optional, it was survival. The founder and original practitioners of Aikido knew how to control, how to strike, and how to move through danger with clarity. Those same principles of spatial awareness, tactical positioning, and weapon retention are exactly what modern tactical systems still strive to replicate.

So while Gun Kata brought “mathematical motion” to Hollywood, Aikido had already been doing it for generations, mapping the geometry of conflict through movement and intent. The calm precision seen in Equilibrium isn’t fantasy; it’s the visual expression of what true martial artists train to embody: harmony in motion, purpose without hesitation.

Though Aikido faded from cinema’s spotlight, its influence is everywhere, from the disarms of John Wick to the flow of Star Wars lightsaber duels, to the close-quarters control in The Bourne Identity and the discipline of The Mandalorian. Behind every graceful redirection and grounded pivot lies the DNA of Aikido — balance, timing, and awareness of the entire field.

Aikido isn’t about overpowering; it’s about out-centering. It’s not who hits harder, it’s who understands space, who remains calm, and who moves with intent.

So if you’ve ever watched a fight scene and thought, “How do they move like that?” the answer may not be special effects. It’s the philosophy of Aikido, centuries of refined motion that turn chaos into composure.

Train Aikido. Learn the geometry of peace. Find your equilibrium.

Like us and follow us on Facebook and Instagram,
visit our website at: https://www.asheboroaikido.com/
our blog at: https://www.kishinkaiaikido.com/blog
Subscribe to our YouTube site, KiShinKai Journeyman Aikido at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDCafw99kISdmz_KTU2H7A ,
but better yet, visit us at the dojo!

Aikido of Asheboro recommends that you train only under qualified instructors and follow all safety instructions before beginning any martial arts program. When participating in any martial arts program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in practicing this or any martial art, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, and assume all risk of injury to yourself.

This is our second paper submission from our 2025 graduating class. This is from Kevin Scott who earned his San Kyu, Third Level, Purple Belt (please note that in Kyu Levels the lower the number the higher the level). Congratulations Kevin!
- Sensei Brad <

WHY I HAVEN’T QUIT AIKIDO YET!

I know the title can be a little off-putting, but then again, it’s appropriate. Testing should be introspective. I didn’t call it that for any other reason other than it happens to be my biggest struggle as an aspiring aikidoka at this point. Who knows what it may be at the next belt testing session. The same thing maybe, but at least I will still be able to relate to the title in its present tense, which means I’m still learning and persevering.

Being at the crossroads of a passing fancy and a long-term pursuit is a road less travelled, and that’s where I am. It’s a fortunate place to be. Most people are only there maybe one or two times in their lives. The passing fancy phase is a fickle mistress with the many pitfalls of time, money, and/or an unsupportive significant other. Most don’t make it through. If we do make it that far, it’s almost equal portions of time and money invested, versus a very personal scale of commitment and acceptable progress. There is usually a decision to made. If we accept defeat, it could be a gentle acquiesce of this just not being for us no matter how much we wanted to learn it, or it could be with the angered frustration of thinking that we put in far more than we ever got out of it. Neither yield any desirable results, and at best sour any experiences that may have taught us something with a bitter pill of more self-doubt or feelings of inferiority that we certainly didn’t need any more of.

My beginnings with Aikido started about fifteen years prior to my first class, I reluctantly accepted doing training for something that I myself was trying to learn as well. I did it, and over the years, I learned that if you wanted to understand something, it was a process. First, understand the concept, secondly the ex*****on, and third, know both so thoroughly that you can explain them to others so well that it puts them on a path to not only want to learn it further, but to equal or surpass your knowledge of it. The hard part is that everything doesn’t sink it in the order that we would prefer and all in the same time frame we would like. Some things take moments, some things take years, and some moments take years to be fully realized. It wasn’t related to Aikido at all, but the tenets are exactly the same.

My Aikido journey began with the first step of suddenly becoming aware of a sign on Sunset Avenue that I had walked under for the better part of two decades. Why? I’m not sure. If I had to call it, I would say I had a lot more to learn. I needed the tables turned when I would tell people “I know this seems difficult now, but you’ll get it”. I needed to be the one that wasn’t sure if I would get it. I am that person now. It’s not easy, but I think its where I need to be. I hold the tenet “Persistence trumps talent” close and I’m intimately acquainted with it in a way that I wasn’t before.

I’ve been trying to do a proper Kokyu Nage for about two and half years now with a low percentage of success. Not what I would prefer, but what is the litmus test for what someone is cut out for and what they aren’t? Is it how quickly they learn that measures aptitude? I’ve also been trying to consistently remember to stay in close on some techniques and to give a Sankyo some distance to make it more effective. I resolved myself to a slow progression that may be much slower than most, but along the way I’m hoping I’m building that familiarity that leads a deeper, useful and more lasting understanding.

I’ve heard that Aikido promotes becoming a better person and even possibly enlightenment. I know that it has been humbling and made me more empathetic to someone trusting me to teach them something they want to know. I don’t know if this will suffice for the written paper requirement for testing. If not, that’s fine. I needed to write my thoughts down anyway. I can write another paper if need be. I’m thankful for my time in Aikido and I hope that my instructors’ patience goes as far as my persistence will go.

- Kevin Scott

Like us and follow us on Facebook and Instagram,
visit our website at https://www.asheboroaikido.com/
our blog at https://www.kishinkaiaikido.com/blog
Subscribe to our YouTube site, KiShinKai Journeyman Aikido at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmDCafw99kISdmz_KTU2H7A ,
but better yet, visit us at the dojo!

Aikido of Asheboro recommends that you train only under qualified instructors and follow all safety instructions before beginning any martial arts program. When participating in any martial arts program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in practicing this or any martial art, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, and assume all risk of injury to yourself.