The Magazine, our Dojo's media page. | Aikido Dojo am Gleisdreieck

The magazine brings together articles on Aikido, Kenjutsu and related topics — from the history of Aikido and the Kashima tradition to teaching principles, the grading system, and experiences from Zen practice. The articles go beyond what you’ll find on the other pages, offering a deeper look at technique, philosophy and practice — as well as the personal journeys of Ulrike Serak and Max Eriksson Ohlwein.

Our Teaching Principles

Everyone can learn from and with each other. In our experience, the best foundation for sustainable training is an openness to practicing seriously and working together as equals.

Aikido for Children & Young People

Aikido for children and young people means partner practice without competition: children learn to respond to one another, work out movements together and fall safely. Ulrike Serak describes what this looks like for different age groups — from four- to six-year-olds to teenagers whose training increasingly resembles that of adults. And why Aikido addresses something she has observed repeatedly: children today move less, and it shows.

The origins of Aikido

Aikido was developed in Japan in the first half of the 20th century by Ueshiba Morihei, drawing on classical samurai combat systems. His aim was not to create another method of self-defence, but a path of personal development — guided by the maxim "Masakatsu Agatsu": a true victory is victory over oneself. This article traces the origins of Aikido, the life and vision of its founder, and how his son Kisshomaru Ueshiba transformed that vision into a martial art now practised in over 90 countries.

Ulrike Serak, 7th dan Shihan

Of all the masters I regularly visited, Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei had the greatest impact on me. I also trained with him during my first visit to Japan. It was this path that led me to Christian Tissier Shihan.

Max Eriksson Ohlwein, 6th dan Dojocho

Even as a young boy, I was fascinated by the sword arts of the Samurai. This interest led me first to Aikido and then to the traditional kenjutsu of the Kashima-no-Tachi school.

The Sword of the Kashima Shrine

A thousand swords are born from the one sword – ten thousand swords return to the one sword.”

Kashima No Tachi (鹿島の太刀) is the Budo that Master Minoru Inaba developed and taught over many years as director of the Shiseikan (至誠館) at the Meiji Jingu in Tokyo. It is rooted in one of the oldest martial arts schools in Japan, Kashima-Shinryu (鹿島神流), whose origins reach back to the 14th century.

Kenjutsu – The Way of the Sword

Kenjutsu — the Japanese art of the sword — is taught at our dojo as a discipline in its own right, rooted in one of Japan's oldest martial traditions. This article traces how the combat techniques of the samurai developed into a method of personal development, and what that means for training today. At its core: the Kata practice of the Kashima-no-Tachi school, the relationship between technique and principle, and what it actually takes to work with the sword.