Are you wondering . . . what is Aikido?
Some great answers can be seen on the web below:
Aikido, The Samurai Spirit – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs4gTZjSqJc
Aikido, in three easy steps – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxyMZtA452k
Aikido the Art:
The Grove Aikido this Club intends to practice is truly a passive art. There is no training or practicing of strikes and kicks. It is our belief that every time you strike or kick you are giving away your energy for the other person to use against you. Done correctly this art should be one of passive holds and pins taking your opponents energy and using it against them. It may also include, for more advanced people, some throws that use their attacker’s energy and redirect it causing them to fall or sometimes to seem to fly in the air. If you have not seen an Aikido demonstration this might be hard to imagine, and sometimes even after seeing it you may find it hard to believe that it is not a choreographed dance. But, as you get better you will find the power that Aikido brings to being passive. Some basic striking moves or grabbing techniques will be shown, but only so that you may be on both ends of the art of Aikido. Sometimes, people find it a better teacher to be the one that is pinned, or even thrown, than to just practice.
Aikido is not a quick and easy art to master. Aikido tends to go against what is normal for many people. To do it well you will have to break many old habits and even some natural reflexes or movements. But, the power found in what you learn is hard to believe. I have seen children that were not yet teenagers throw a 280 pound man six feet, by using the principles found in Aikido. That type of ability does not come quickly, and can be lost or forgotten if not practiced regularly.
A small amount of time during certain practices may be spent working with the mental aspects of Aikido. Although difficult to explain, when practiced correctly the mental aspects of Aikido may bring a calming effect to some people, and have even been used to help deal with problems that are not physical in nature, both at home and at work.
As you consider practicing with this Club, remember that you will be pinned and may be taken to the ground often in a practice session. Be ready for the repetitive ups and downs that come with learning this art. It is expected that anyone that gets serious about Aikido will join us regularly. Since the moves and retrained reflexes can be lost without practice. This Club has been created for the purpose of, and with the hopes of practicing often to maintain these abilities. We hope that anyone who joins us will be with us for the long haul, as brief or intermittent practices often do not have the desired effect.
Other Martial Arts and other Aikido programs:
The Grove Aikido Club is very grateful to all Sensei’s that have and do teach Aikido and other Martial Arts. We believe they are a great value to society. We are not attempting to recruit people from any other martial art or any Sensei. We only want to provide an easy and inexpensive, informal, and fun place to practice our Aikido.
We highly recommend that if you feel the need for formal training, or for a system that will have a trained Sensei at the head of the class, or you feel the need for belts that show an increase in rank, that you seek out one of the local Martial Arts Schools in the area where you live.
We also recognize that not all Aikido is the same. The Grove Aikido Club desires to practice a passive version of Aikido. Other Aikido Masters may teach a more aggressive style. We do not believe that any style of Aikido or any other martial art is better than another. We have merely chosen a personal preference of a passive style of a passive art. Each person should look at their own personal preferences before deciding on any martial art, or group to study and practice with.