Our
Story & Vision:
Aikido
is a way of life, according to Werth Sensei.
He said that many people are searching for a way to attain their idea of
being fit or being healthy. Many people
sign up for gym memberships and begin working out every morning, but then they
stop because their bodies don’t want to do it any more, according to Werth
Sensei.
“Aikido gives you a sense of purpose while giving you a moderate workout while engaging with other people,” he said. “You work out with other people in a meaningful way.” “It’s exhilarating and that’s why you go,” said Werth Sensei. “You move at your own pace and do fun things with other people. That’s why you come back.”
Broome said it’s a fun workout in which she feels like she accomplishes something new every class. She describes the typical gym as a place that focuses more on looking good than anything else. “Aikido teaches you self-defense, discipline, etiquette, and it challenges you mentally as well as physically,” said Broome. “One of the most difficult things that I had to learn about Aikido is that it’s not about strength, it’s about harmony and movement. Aikido is not an offensive martial art, it is defensive. You learn to use your opponent’s strength of attack against them, not to hurt them but to help yourself,” she said. “As a very strong girl, it was very hard for me to shift from using strength to using movement while practicing with other students.”
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Picture (Above): Ryan Lawrence
performs a move in his staff practice – jyo
kata.
Picture
(Left): Werth Sensei evades his student’s sword attack and disarms her with a kokynage (breath throw) technique. Photo by Mr. Danilo Claros of Nintai Studios.