Aikido is a fascinating art which always has more to offer. The more you
study, the more you find there is yet to know. At Aikido of Columbus, we practice
Aikido with full attention to its many different shades of meaning. With their
broad experience in somatic education disciplines, Paul and Peggy bring to
Aikido an understanding of how to teach so that the complex movement patterns
of Aikido become accessible to every individual. Their focus on awareness
of breath, posture and body use facilitates mastery of the defense techniques
and transforms Aikido into a systematic and practical study of the self.
The essence of the Aikido techniques is their flow. Aikido techniques are
smooth and circular, gentle as well as powerful, and are based on principles
of non-resistance and non-violence. Aikidoists learn to receive the attacker
with compassion and move along with the power of the attack to imbalance the
attacker and defeat the aggression.
What is difficult in the Aikido techniques is not just the techniques themselves
but becoming the kind of human being who can do them. It is a natural reflex
that when we feel threatened, scared or angry, we stiffen up. We restrict
our breathing and tighten our muscles. We create a physical and mental barrier
of rigidity around ourselves to protect ourselves. However, in this state,
we are stiff, awkward and unfeeling. We lose sensitivity and can't perceive
ourselves or the attacker clearly, so we can't move well or execute effective
defense techniques. Also, when we are angry or afraid, we feel an urge to
hurt people who threaten us - rather than being able to live up to our ideals
of compassion and non-violence.
Aikido techniques demand that we touch the attacker in a powerful yet gentle
and loving way, embrace the power of the attack, and go along with the flow
of the attacker's movements. This is totally contrary to the scared, angry
urges we normally have when we are attacked. Mistakes in the physical Aikido
techniques are pointers toward misunderstandings we have within ourselves,
and correcting the physical techniques is a way of correcting ourselves. Aikido
is a means of becoming a better human being.
As students learn to move with relaxed muscles, balanced posture and calm
breath, their throws become more efficient and more effective and their minds
become more settled and compassionate. Aikido techniques require a compassionate
mind and a soft body. But this softness must be integrated with the power
that Aikido calls ki extension. Ki is inner energy. It is the soft, outgoing
flow of awareness. Ki flow in the body makes movements springy and strong.
The riddle for our time is how to increase our personal power and use it
in a compassionate way. Aikido is a martial art dedicated to understanding
how to get along with people. The practice of Aikido is really a way of testing
and developing your awareness of both yourself and the people around you.
The goal in this martial art is to learn to move and live in a state of power,
gentleness, freedom, and harmony.
At Aikido of Columbus, we emphasize living in the moment of awareness. Through
the practice of the Aikido self-defense techniques, we work on polishing the
body as a mirror of the spirit. If you want to see what the art of Aikido
is like, you are always welcome to come visit.