Our
Story & Vision:
Carpe Diem (Seize
the Day) –
Story:
Tracy Scudder – Photos:
The floor vibrates and a boom resonates throughout the room as Mr. Michael L. Werth Sensei hits the mat. Werth Sensei, who is about six feet tall and 190 lbs, smiles as he lies on his back looking up at his pint-sized student. “Are you ready to do it again?” he asks. Eight-year-old Jaxine Wolfe gives a little giggle as she nods her head with excitement.
Werth Sensei jumps back to his feet to practice the move again with Wolfe. The giggles and laughter from Werth Sensei’s Kids’ Basics Aikido class can be heard from the bottom of the stairs that lead to the second floor dojo. At the top of the stairs, parents sit and watch as the lesson takes place.
The students go through their warm-ups before they begin to attempt and master the moves they have been taught. The children concentrate as the moves are demonstrated and smile when it is their turn to practice on their sensei. Aikido – Downtown is a place where both adults and children learn how to utilize their internal strength to resolve both personal and external conflicts.
Picture: Eight-year-old Aikido student Jaxine Wolfe flips Mr. Michael L. Werth Sensei at Aikido – Downtown in Providence in January of 2005.