Why study Aikido?
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art. It was developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy and religious beliefs. His goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attackers from injury.
It has many physical benefits including aerobic conditioning, increased strength and flexibility and improved posture. However, it can also give you an enhanced sense of timing, better reactions, coordination and balance. It can also help with pain relief, cardiovascular health and reduced blood pressure.
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What will you learn?
Aikido is a great activity to take up, and it has many different benefits. Courses range from a variety of levels and are delivered on a part-time basis. This means they can easily fit around pre-existing work schedule or personal commitments. It is also possible to learn Aikido from home.
Participants of Aikido classes will have the opportunity to start off at a beginners level and move up. You will learn about the special suit required for training sessions. This is called a Keikogi or Gi and gives you the freedom to move easily in your preferred direction.
Aikido has a ranking system just like other martial arts. When you join, you will receive your white belt. As you progress, you will be given different coloured belts to indicate your level. From white, you will move to yellow. Orange, green and blue follow. Brown is next and after it comes black. However, the black belt has four stages – 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th Dan.
Students will learn the importance of etiquette, which is a paramount skill. It’s crucial for leaning the physical techniques correctly. They will also learn defence techniques and postures to help them in frontal attacks.
Taking classes in Aikido will help you progress through the ranks, perfecting your techniques as you go. Once you have completed beginners classes, you can then move on to advanced or expert training.
It’s important to take time to perfect your skills. It could take three days or three months. Eventually, you will get it. Patience is key.
Where will this take me?
A course in Aikido is perfect for those looking to take up martial arts in their spare time. Generally speaking, many people just do it for the fun of it or to learn new skills. Moving up the ranks and earning different belts is extremely rewarding.
Because of the many benefits of Aikido, many people will continue practising it as they get older. This means that they can take it with them with work and even in university. It is not something that you will have to retire from and you will be able to boost your health and practise in the meantime.
For those who want to make a job out of their Aikido practice, they can lead classes for others. Showing others how to build their skills from scratch as you once did will be an extremely satisfying and valuable career path.
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