As a defensive art Aikido uses your attackers' energy and momentum against them. Aikido does not rely on
forceful blocking, punching, kicking, screaming, or physical dominance. Since it does not require strength
or size, Aikido can be mastered by all, regardless of athletic ability and age.
Rather than confronting and overpowering an attacker's energy, the aikidoka (Aikido student) blends with
this energy, deflects and redirects it and the attacker ends up on the floor. The techniques themselves
are fluid and graceful. The resulting throws are impressive.
As you develop your throwing and your falling skills, your footwork, balance, awareness, and reflexes
improve. In addition Aikido helps you to develop your body/mind/spirit connection. It builds your confidence
and improves your total awareness of people, space, and time. Aikido's natural movements help you to
develop a relaxed body, a calm mind, and a powerful spirit. Training in Aikido for a few hours each week
can have a dramatic effect on how you handle your life as a whole.
Through our regular practice, we move toward greater wholeness in ourselves. We gain more respect
for both our weaknesses and our strengths, as well as for our partners. Our compassion for life deepens.
Through Aikido training you develop mastery of life's many challenges. For most people, everyday scenarios
can be daunting or even haunting. For the Aikido practitioner they are opportunities to apply his or her
skills.
It's not just physical attacks; most people have not been in a fight in their adult lives and never
will. Along with the confidence to know you can protect yourself, learning to cope with ordinary stress
is tremendously valuable in daily life. It won't help to lose your cool: the pressures of work, traffic
jams, crowded commutes, parenthood, finances. Of course these problems will not just go away, but through
Aikido you can learn the patience, calmness, and strength to deal with them.
Since one of the most important skills in your Aikido training is the ability to fall safely, Aikido
students can avoid serious injury when a fall does occur.
Aikido is non-competitive. Therefore, every effort is made to share the learning and help one
another to grow.
Above all, Aikido is fun. It is a chance to use, expand, and challenge your mind and body. Turn off
the cell phone, tune out the television and radio, shut down the computer, and explore and improve the
greatest asset you have...Yourself.
Learning something new stimulates brain cells at any age. The benefits to older people, both physically
and mentally are tremendous. At Philadelphia Aikido, we stress that Aikido is for everyone and understand
that each student needs to work at his or her own pace. Our instructors and fellow students are happy
to work with anyone who is willing to step on the mat as long as they bring a positive attitude and a
desire to learn.
Children from age 8 are permitted to train with the adults. This works out surprisingly well –
less monkey-business and more learning. The children gain confidence, self-discipline, respect
for others and for themselves, self-defense all the while stretching the limits of their minds and bodies.
As we age Aikido can offer numerous benefits. Not the least of which is the ability to fall
safely. Most Aikido students will never be involved in a fight or physical confrontation but they
are prepared for one. However most Aikido students have at some point suffered potentially damaging
falls. Part of Aikido practice is training in the art of falling safely. This study is called Ukemi.