Practicing Aikido creates a greater sense of health and well-being by emphasizing mindful practice, breathing awareness, and proper body alignment, all while developing effective self defense techniques that do not require strength to be effective. Sunday classes are free and open to everyone
Aikido is more than simply an efficient method of self-defense. PHYSICAL BENEFITS - Aikido training is ex
cellent for all-around physical fitness, flexibility, and relaxation. While activities such as weight-lifting emphasize contractive power, it can increase tension, decrease flexibility, and stress the joints. Aikido emphasizes expansive power, where your body learns to move from your center, where you are most powerful, in a relaxed and coordinated manner, and that power is extended out through the relaxed limbs. In a martial context, a person who masters expansive power can often overcome a person who is much bigger or stronger. PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS - The physical relaxation learned in Aikido becomes mental relaxation. Aikido training requires the student to face conflict, not to run away from it. Patterns of avoidance and fear are broken. Unlike other arts, Aikido technique can be applied at varying levels of severity, from gentle to most severe, making it ideal for a wide range of situations and occupations. To develop the true human potential, some form of discipline and refinement is necessary. Training in Aikido allows us to develop awareness, decisiveness, inner power and compassion. Ultimately, our true dojo is our life itself and Aikido offers us a unified training methodology designed to bring about this realization and put it to good use. This is the legacy of the martial ways, and the true value of Aikido training. Aikido class is led by Craig Johnson, who’s studied Aikido since 1991. Questions? [email protected] or visit us on Facebook. Looking forward to seeing you on the mat.
