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A 'Brand' New Way of Looking at Aikido
“Ki to the City” was originally conceived as a way to address the seemingly shaky future of Aikido (specifically, in my own life). In this episode, I’m honored to speak with someone who is not just thinking about the problem aloud but providing concrete, actionable, and expert solutions.
My guest has built a platform (and an app) that achieves what I’ve only vaguely dreamed of: addressing the critical need for a more effective branding of Aikido.
Sasa Starovojtov (from Dokiai Dojo in Ljubljana, Slovenia) is a compelling voice challenging the status quo with equal parts compassion and commercial acumen. His dojo’s name perfectly encapsulates his mission: to offer “another way to look at Aikido.”
Sasa’s path to the mat is as unique as his current contribution. He discovered the art purely by chance, walking past a sign in Prague.
He instantly connected with Aikido’s non-competitive spirit, finding it a soothing balm to the “scorekeeping” mindset that had ruined games for him since childhood.
Over 25 years later, this commitment to non-conflict is a defining feature of his life; as he shared, since joining the dojo, he’s never had to fight—physically or verbally.
Before founding his dojo, Sasa had already carved out a long and successful professional career in marketing, rising to roles like Sales and Marketing Director for a software company and working for world-famous agencies like Leo Burnett. This eclectic background—martial artist and seasoned branding expert—is what makes his perspective on the art of Aikido so vital.
Sasa’s Substack, Aikicraft.org, and his revolutionary new app, Brandician.ai, in my own humble opinion, are essential tools for anyone struggling with how to keep Aikido relevant in their own communities. I implore you to click those links…
He points to real-world data suggesting Aikido could be on a “path to extinction,” while Aikidoka are mostly “marketing to ourselves,” failing to explain the art’s true value to people who’ve never stepped on a mat.
Aikicraft.org is Sasa’s offered antidote, a valuable resource for Dojo Cho who are, like he was himself, left with little practical guidance on how to run, grow, or market a dojo.
Aikicraft is divided into four critical sections: Why we train, The hard look (a necessary criticism of institutional problems), Teach better (advocating for the use of modern sports science), and Applied Aikido (his “Marketing-Do” series).
This work has culminated in Brandician.ai, a powerful web app created with his partners that he’s currently offering for free to the Aikido community.
As he explains on the podcast, a professional branding package for could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000. His ingenious app guides the user through an in-depth process starting with a founder interview, generates a questionnaire to survey customers, and ultimately creates a Brand Hub—a comprehensive guide covering brand strategy, visual identity, and tone of voice, rooted in the art of storytelling.
Sasa’s work is firmly planted in the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) theory from the branding world: many people are not interested in buying “traditional martial arts”—they are hiring us to do a job for them. That job could be to achieve more mindfulness, to be a better parent, or to be comfortable speaking in front of a group of people. Sasha contends that by framing the practice in this way, we can ensure its survival.
To Sasa, marketing is Aikido—a process of harmonization. You can’t fight the market; you must take ukemi and move with it. This dimensional shift in consciousness could be what’s required for the art to once again flourish.
(Until/unless I can find some sponsors ;) Ki to the City remains a reader-supported publication. If you have benefited from this project, please consider signing up to be a paid subscriber to help keep the podcast on “the airwaves.”
If you would prefer to make a one-time contribution, you can email me directly at [email protected].
As a token of my gratitude, and Don Dickie Sensei’s generosity, you will receive a complimentary copy of his deeply reflective volume of poetry, Silent Winds of Aikido.
Thank you!!!
Get full access to Ki to the City at kitothecity.substack.com/subscribe
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By kitothecity“Ki to the City” was originally conceived as a way to address the seemingly shaky future of Aikido (specifically, in my own life). In this episode, I’m honored to speak with someone who is not just thinking about the problem aloud but providing concrete, actionable, and expert solutions.
My guest has built a platform (and an app) that achieves what I’ve only vaguely dreamed of: addressing the critical need for a more effective branding of Aikido.
Sasa Starovojtov (from Dokiai Dojo in Ljubljana, Slovenia) is a compelling voice challenging the status quo with equal parts compassion and commercial acumen. His dojo’s name perfectly encapsulates his mission: to offer “another way to look at Aikido.”
Sasa’s path to the mat is as unique as his current contribution. He discovered the art purely by chance, walking past a sign in Prague.
He instantly connected with Aikido’s non-competitive spirit, finding it a soothing balm to the “scorekeeping” mindset that had ruined games for him since childhood.
Over 25 years later, this commitment to non-conflict is a defining feature of his life; as he shared, since joining the dojo, he’s never had to fight—physically or verbally.
Before founding his dojo, Sasa had already carved out a long and successful professional career in marketing, rising to roles like Sales and Marketing Director for a software company and working for world-famous agencies like Leo Burnett. This eclectic background—martial artist and seasoned branding expert—is what makes his perspective on the art of Aikido so vital.
Sasa’s Substack, Aikicraft.org, and his revolutionary new app, Brandician.ai, in my own humble opinion, are essential tools for anyone struggling with how to keep Aikido relevant in their own communities. I implore you to click those links…
He points to real-world data suggesting Aikido could be on a “path to extinction,” while Aikidoka are mostly “marketing to ourselves,” failing to explain the art’s true value to people who’ve never stepped on a mat.
Aikicraft.org is Sasa’s offered antidote, a valuable resource for Dojo Cho who are, like he was himself, left with little practical guidance on how to run, grow, or market a dojo.
Aikicraft is divided into four critical sections: Why we train, The hard look (a necessary criticism of institutional problems), Teach better (advocating for the use of modern sports science), and Applied Aikido (his “Marketing-Do” series).
This work has culminated in Brandician.ai, a powerful web app created with his partners that he’s currently offering for free to the Aikido community.
As he explains on the podcast, a professional branding package for could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000. His ingenious app guides the user through an in-depth process starting with a founder interview, generates a questionnaire to survey customers, and ultimately creates a Brand Hub—a comprehensive guide covering brand strategy, visual identity, and tone of voice, rooted in the art of storytelling.
Sasa’s work is firmly planted in the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) theory from the branding world: many people are not interested in buying “traditional martial arts”—they are hiring us to do a job for them. That job could be to achieve more mindfulness, to be a better parent, or to be comfortable speaking in front of a group of people. Sasha contends that by framing the practice in this way, we can ensure its survival.
To Sasa, marketing is Aikido—a process of harmonization. You can’t fight the market; you must take ukemi and move with it. This dimensional shift in consciousness could be what’s required for the art to once again flourish.
(Until/unless I can find some sponsors ;) Ki to the City remains a reader-supported publication. If you have benefited from this project, please consider signing up to be a paid subscriber to help keep the podcast on “the airwaves.”
If you would prefer to make a one-time contribution, you can email me directly at [email protected].
As a token of my gratitude, and Don Dickie Sensei’s generosity, you will receive a complimentary copy of his deeply reflective volume of poetry, Silent Winds of Aikido.
Thank you!!!
Get full access to Ki to the City at kitothecity.substack.com/subscribe