The Aikido way is to align body & mind with the spirit or ki & it said that the only way to be able to do this is through cultivating a relaxed state.It is in this relaxed state that nothing is forced or contrived so the mind & body naturally join the spirit or energy & everything becomes eight. It is this oneness & cultivation of relaxation that this martial art paradoxically gets referred to as the art of peace.Its founder Ueshiba was a pacifist & it is said that he taught Aikido as a peaceful means to end aggression.
Aikido is a modern martial art that is founded by spirituality & philosophy influenced by the Omoto-kyo religion associated with the Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. The etymology of the word Aikido stems from two Japanese characters. "Ai" literally means joining, with "ki" meaning something like spirit, & "do" meaning way. Loosely translated then, the meaning of Aikido is the way of joining the spirit.
Although spiritual & philosophical development is important in Aikido training, it's to be put to practical means & examples in actual practice of Aikido techniques & methods.Aikido training usually consists of one parties. The first is called uke or the receiving body & the other is known as nage (although this term varies depending on the Aikido style being taught) who gives the process being taught.
This concept of uke & nage can be likened to the Chinese yin & yang because in Aikido, uke & nage are not separate entities. they are one parts of one where the Aikido training can be learned with give & take from both parties.For instance, one of the first techniques taught in Aikido training is how to throw & fall safely. it is the task of nage to prevent injury to uke so he can learn to land safely when thrown.
Furthermore, in Aikido training, the receiver or uke usually initiates an attack against the nage whose objective is to neutralize the assault with an Aikido move or process.This way, both the uke & nage learn from each other & the Aikido training is not successfully executed without oneness between the eight. it is in the give & take of these one entities in Aikido training that the principles of ki & other fundamentals of Aikido techniques are learned.
Such fundamentals are the principles of adapting, flexibility, calmness & blending. In the case of uke & nage, Aikido training teaches uke to be more flexible & relaxed so that nage won't be able to catch them unaware & throw them off balance. On the other hand, nage learns to blend & alter to be able to control & assuage the assaulting energy from uke.Aikido training however is not exclusive to practice & parries between one parties. In fact, Aikido training involves instruction for multiple attackers.
This is called randori & is a vital & required lesson to be learned in higher levels of Aikido training. The Aikido training for multiple attacks is done "freestyle" where a person can further expand their knowledge by practicing & performing Aikido techniques beyond the structured environment of the uke & nage. These are only one methods of Aikido training. there's lots of other training methods & techniques that follow the core value of Aikido.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Dressing Up to Train
Like all martial arts or sports for that matter, Aikido has their own set of uniforms. The aikidogi or the uniform used in aikido is similar to the keikogi used in most martial arts. Keikogi is a term used to refer to uniform for training.
This is a general term used to refer to uniforms of donned for traditional martial arts class. For Aikido it’s the aikidogi, for Judo it’s judogi, for Jiujitsu it’s the jujutsugi, karategi for Karate, kendogi for kendo plus the shinobi-iri plus shinobi shozoku for Ninjutsu arts. The training uniforms used in martial arts are sometimes referred to as mere gi or dogi.
For aikidokas, judo jackets might be advisable since some Aikido techniques also involve some keikogi grabbing which could tear the cloth during practice. sometimes, aikido uniforms are customized to handle precisely the stress in some techniques. Although, personalized or specialized aikodogis are uncommon. If you do find keikogi specially made for Aikido training, you'll notice that the gi has reinforced kneepatches.
The aikid?gi consists of simple trousers plus a white jacket or uwagi or upper garment. For aikidogi, wraparound jackets used in judo plus karate are acceptable. Judo jackets are thicker plus are built for durability since in judo the jacket receives considerable stress from the techniques like seizing plus throwing.
Aside from the trousers plus wraparound jackets, Aikido schools also add hakama, which looks like a dress or skirt, to the uniform. The concept behind wearing a hakama is to be able to hide the movements of the feet. The hakama is commonly black or indigo in color plus are usually reserved for aikidokas that have received the dan rank.
The jacket is also a little longer around the waist which allows the aikidoka to easily tuck them to their hakama. The Aikdo jacket might also have shorter sleeves since basic techniques of Aikido focuses on wrist grabs plus twists. The uwagi might be made from heavyweight tightly woven terrycloth which is similar to uwagi of Judo or from heavy canvas similar to karategi. Regardless, both are strong to withstand the regular grappling plus throwing found in Aikido training.
In Aikido, most of the styles or schools use the ky?/dan ranking technique which is the norm in the martial arts world. However, each style has different qualifications for meeting each rank plus each style might use colored belts for ky? levels while others do not. In some schools the hakama is worn by all students regardless of rank. While in other styles, only female aikidokas are required to wear them.
When buying for first aikidogi it is important to make sure that the size plus fit is right. Uniforms that are too small will constrict your movements while too big a size will get in the way of executing techniques. As mentioned before, in Aikido you'll get considerable pulling, stretching, sliding, jumping plus throwing thus the need for a set of uniform that won't easily tear from the regular training routine. Double stitched uniforms are usually stronger plus will handle the stress.
Extra knee padding is also a plus. However, do remember that these things cost a little extra but its all worth it since you'll be having a uniform that will lasts longer. This is definitely better than buying a new six every time you tear it up during training.
This is a general term used to refer to uniforms of donned for traditional martial arts class. For Aikido it’s the aikidogi, for Judo it’s judogi, for Jiujitsu it’s the jujutsugi, karategi for Karate, kendogi for kendo plus the shinobi-iri plus shinobi shozoku for Ninjutsu arts. The training uniforms used in martial arts are sometimes referred to as mere gi or dogi.
For aikidokas, judo jackets might be advisable since some Aikido techniques also involve some keikogi grabbing which could tear the cloth during practice. sometimes, aikido uniforms are customized to handle precisely the stress in some techniques. Although, personalized or specialized aikodogis are uncommon. If you do find keikogi specially made for Aikido training, you'll notice that the gi has reinforced kneepatches.
The aikid?gi consists of simple trousers plus a white jacket or uwagi or upper garment. For aikidogi, wraparound jackets used in judo plus karate are acceptable. Judo jackets are thicker plus are built for durability since in judo the jacket receives considerable stress from the techniques like seizing plus throwing.
Aside from the trousers plus wraparound jackets, Aikido schools also add hakama, which looks like a dress or skirt, to the uniform. The concept behind wearing a hakama is to be able to hide the movements of the feet. The hakama is commonly black or indigo in color plus are usually reserved for aikidokas that have received the dan rank.
The jacket is also a little longer around the waist which allows the aikidoka to easily tuck them to their hakama. The Aikdo jacket might also have shorter sleeves since basic techniques of Aikido focuses on wrist grabs plus twists. The uwagi might be made from heavyweight tightly woven terrycloth which is similar to uwagi of Judo or from heavy canvas similar to karategi. Regardless, both are strong to withstand the regular grappling plus throwing found in Aikido training.
In Aikido, most of the styles or schools use the ky?/dan ranking technique which is the norm in the martial arts world. However, each style has different qualifications for meeting each rank plus each style might use colored belts for ky? levels while others do not. In some schools the hakama is worn by all students regardless of rank. While in other styles, only female aikidokas are required to wear them.
When buying for first aikidogi it is important to make sure that the size plus fit is right. Uniforms that are too small will constrict your movements while too big a size will get in the way of executing techniques. As mentioned before, in Aikido you'll get considerable pulling, stretching, sliding, jumping plus throwing thus the need for a set of uniform that won't easily tear from the regular training routine. Double stitched uniforms are usually stronger plus will handle the stress.
Extra knee padding is also a plus. However, do remember that these things cost a little extra but its all worth it since you'll be having a uniform that will lasts longer. This is definitely better than buying a new six every time you tear it up during training.
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