After many years studying with Sensei McRae I’m still enjoying every class (no, not a masochist). Mal’s soft Ki must be seen to be believed, the demonstrations still look like magic. He can execute any technique effortlessly against full resistance, fast or in slow motion.
Mal teaches and demonstrates that we must be relaxed and non-aggressive for aikido to work. It is a great lesson that I started to apply in everyday life, making a conscious effort to relax under pressure.
I have been training with Sensei Mal McRae for only short time (around 2 years at the writing of this) and I am hooked. Mal’s Aikido training is like no other he is truly a gifted teacher, dedicated to his students and our progression. His focus on the Ki aspects of the mind boggling strength and power behind being soft will stay with me for the rest of my life. He has taught me not to resist, don’t try and be strong or fight with strength, not to be tense and instead to place my mind forward past where I want to go. To focus with intention
‘think up to go down’ and broken timing are some principles that have enhanced my everyday life. I implore anyone who is even toying with the idea to come check him out. After just a few sessions the likelihood is you will be both baffled, and enthralled by the empowering strength of harnessing your Ki!
Thankyou Sensei, it is an honour to train with you.
5th Dan Goju-Ryu Karate
1st Dan ki fusion Aikido
1st Degree Black Belt Krav Maga
Having started learning Goju karate some 30 years ago I was convinced karate was the way to go and had serious doubts as to the practicality of the aikido that I had witnessed. That was before my introduction to ki fusion Aikido and Mal McRae Sensei. Mal Sensei turned my understanding of the martial arts on its head. No longer were strength and speed important. Moves in the karate kata representing locks, holds and throws that were obscure suddenly became crystal clear under Mal Sensei’s instruction. My understanding of ‘ki’ in karate was expanded substantially as I was exposed to the power of the ‘soft ki’ taught in ki fusion Aikido.
I have been cross training under Mal Sensei for nearly seven years now and can say that it has been an experience that needs to be felt to be believed. Without doubt, ki fusion Aikido is the thinking martial artist’s martial art.
I was amazed the first time I attended the class, and I still am, by how Mal sensei demonstrates the techniques with ki. They seem to be the same Aikido techniques I’ve learned elsewhere, but they are based on a different principle that makes them much more powerful and effective. The fact that soft ki can actually overcome hard physical power in the Aikido we practice here is not just amazing to watch but also really fascinating to experience ourselves through training. Everyone here is friendly and incredibly encouraging. I feel very lucky to be part of Ki Fusion Aikido.
Aikido is amazing. The concept of using ki instead of muscle and power is something I had not considered before starting my aikido journey. In reality, we use ki every day, but when confronted in an agressive manner, our default instinct is to react with strength. ki Fusion Aikido teaches me the way to use softness and ki when confronted.
Head Instructor
2nd Degree Black Belt Hapkido
I have trained in Hapkido for over a decade. During this time I was aware of the concepts of Ki energy and its applications in Martial Arts but it was not until meeting and training with Mal Sensei that I became aware of the full and very realistic and practical application of Ki. In over two years I have found Mal Sensei to be a very gracious and patient teacher.
The skills and knowledge which I have learned and continue to develop in using Ki with Aikido principles has directly translated to improving my Hapkido. The principles to which Mal Sensei has introduced me apply not only to the similarities between Aikido and Hapkido but to all areas of training: locking, throwing, kicking, striking and grappling as well as the mental and spiritual aspects of Martial Arts training.
Mal is a genuine, gentle and exceptional leader who does not put himself on a pedestal. Being originally from Japan, I knew some philosophy about Aikido but Mal has taken this to another level and shows us "Ki" in action.
Timothy A – 5th Kyu
Ki fusion Aikido has taught me a lot of things, but the most important to me so far has been the art of Ukemi – the art of receiving a technique, or how to roll, or how to receive a grapple. I did not know how important they were before going into Aikido, and they’re very important. I’ve done a few martial arts before I practiced Aikido. These include such martial arts as: Karate, Judo, and even Jujutsu. None of them delved into how to receive a technique. The most we did was learning how to roll, but we didn’t roll that often. Furthermore, we never learnt how to land from a throw or roll from a throw, or land from a take down.
With Ki Fusion Aikido, not only do we learn how to roll properly, but we do rolling almost every lesson, and we get taught correctly how to receive techniques, and we’re taught how to properly receive grapples, and how to roll out of a throw, and how to properly receive a takedown.
10th Degree Black Belt Zen-Do-Kai Karate 8th Degree Kru Kick Boxing 4th Dan ki fusion Aikido 1st Degree Black Belt BJJ Trains in Systema and Krav Maga
In Ki Fusion Aikido, I've learned about the importance of "ki" and how to cultivate it.