AIKIDO
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What is Aikido?
Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as “the way of unifying with life energy” or as “the way of harmonious spirit”. Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury. Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. This requires very little physical strength, as the aikidōka (aikido practitioner) leads the attacker’s momentum using entering and turning movements. The techniques are completed with various throws or joint locks.
Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba’s involvement with the Ōmoto-kyō religion. Ueshiba’s early students’ documents bear the term aiki-jūjutsu.
Ueshiba’s senior students have different approaches to aikido, depending partly on when they studied with him. Today aikido is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker.
Why Practice Aikido?
Albeit all martial arts have something to offer, unlike many others, Aikido practitioners do not block, but blend with their opponent to evade an attack. It’s all about movement, timing, body mechanics and posture breaking. From a weapons perspective, we include Bokken (wooden sword) and Jo (wooden staff) to enhance our Aikido and due to the increasing prevalence of knives in our society, we add a level of realism to our training using a Tanto (wooden knife).
Is Aikido different to most other martial arts you may have seen?
Compared to Karate, Tae Kwon-Do, and Kick Boxing ,most definitely! You really need to see Aikido to appreciate its softness, fluidity of movement, yet devastating power if required.
Do you need to be physically strong to practise Aikido?
The answer to this question is a no. Aikido places great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement and blending but does not rely on strength so is well suited to both men and women. Aikido is about relaxing as this allows you to move freely and quickly as your body is not tense.
So, if you are looking for a martial art in Evesham or a martial art in Taunton and want to experience something a little different, come and try Aikido. Please contact Mike or Tony for more information.
Lesson Times
Taunton Dojo
Juniors (Under 16):
Fridays: 19:00 – 20:00
Adults (16+):
Tuesdays: 20:00 – 21:30
Evesham Dojo
Adults (18+):
Thursdays: 19:45 – 21:45
Contact Us
Mike: 07769 341797
Tony: 07443 480694
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