Location: United States
Member Since: Sep. 10, 2014

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Tony Blomert

Biography

Tony Blomert is a writer and an American Aikidoka. He was first introduced to the martial art of Aikido as a college freshman over four decades ago, and still lives "the way of aiki" by practicing the principles in his everyday life. He began his studies in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido (1974), and received his dan ranking in 1978.

In 1976, while still a kyu-ranked student, he was asked to instruct the Aikido section of "an Introduction to the Martial Arts" -- an accredited curriculum at Los Angeles Valley College -- by his mentor, Dr. Lynn D. Lomen, and Sensei Steve Munchnikov. This instructional exposure inspired his avocation of helping others learn the Aiki way.

A serious student of budo (martial arts), his experience instructing others inspired his writing "the Aikidoka's World" blog from 2010 to 2013, and his book - An Open Secret -- a student's handbook to Aikido training. He also regularly contributes to the international forum www.AikiWeb.com.

Tony grew up in the Hollywood hills of Los Angeles, CA and became immersed in the fine arts and entertainment industries. He credits a great deal of his diversified interests on the many wonderful and talented individuals that were part of his youth. He followed his father's footsteps with a brief career in the music industry after graduating from Hollywood High School, but was determined to take a different path.

After earning a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California Los Angeles, he went into a career in public affairs - working first in the California State Assembly, and later in the private sector for several major corporations specializing in land-use issues. In 1990, he made another career change and moved to Nevada where he operated a successful swimming pool construction and maintenance company.

During his time in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tony returned to active training with the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU) under Sensei James Sterling.

Now living in Livingston, Montana on the banks of the famed Yellowstone River, Tony is growing his dojo for adults, teens and children.

Smashwords Interview

What motivated you to become involved with Aikido?
My interest was first piqued when I enrolled in a summer college prep class that covered an overview of Judo, Karate, Jujitsu and Aikido. To be honest, my friends and I signed up because we were told by others that this was a fun and easy credit class. Being active in various athletics growing up, my buddies and I thought it would be just a fun class to take to break up our heavy academic schedule.

Little did I know that I would be so fascinated by the experience!
What inspired you to write your book?
Several years ago, I created an on-line (blog) forum for our dojo members, that would cover subjects that Sensei shared but wasn't necessarily heard by everyone, since class attendance always varies. These topics ranged from basic etiquette to historical background on certain practices. The blog "An Aikidoka's World" was successful in reaching not only the students of our dojo, but many people all over the world. Among the most popular subjects were the Aikido hakama, breathing exercises and many of the "how to" topics.

In preparing these articles, I naturally went beyond the information provided by our Sensei and completed extensive research on each topic. I knew that many of these topics would be of interest to anyone training in Aikido. Also I had the good fortune of traveling to many dojo throughout the US during the past couple of years. It was a very enjoyable experience and I met many wonderful Aikidoka. While on these visits, I often heard students asking their Sensei or Senpai questions about similar topics. My previous research had resulted in what could be called "frequently asked questions" to which I learned or heard varied answers to.

My book -- An Open Secret -- a students handbook to Aikido training, could offer a good starting point for these FAQ. At least that was the intent behind writing the book.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Tony Blomert online

Website: http://aikidotoday.com
Twitter: @aikido2day
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/tony-blomert/a9/13b/93a.

Where to buy in print

https://www.amazon.com/Open-Secret-Students-Handbook-Techniques/dp/1503093522/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1506579454&sr=8-1

Books

An Open Secret: A Student’s Handbook for Learning Aikido Techniques of Self-Defense and the Aiki Way by
Price: $7.95 USD. Words: 23,160. Language: English. Published: November 25, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Martial arts, Nonfiction » Religion & Spirituality » Shintoism
(5.00 from 2 reviews)
Aikido is a self-defense martial art (budo) founded by Morihei Usehiba (O’Sensei) in Japan. Tony Blomert shares his experience and wisdom in this training guide about etiquette, tools and weapons, rank examination, relationships between students and teachers, etc., essential to learning Aikido and ultimately the Aiki way. An Open Secret provides a proven learning methodology for Aikido that can be

Tony Blomert's tag cloud

aikido    aikido bokken and jo    aikido selfdefense    aikido sensei    aikido techniques    aikido uniform    aikido weapons    selfdefense for kids    selfdefense for seniors    selfdefense for women