07/24/06

There are lots of pages out there, which explain Ki and Aikido much better than I ever could. What I want to do here, is say why I study Ki Aikido. 

I love Aikido because it's relevant to my life. I don't want to go out looking for fights, and I don't want to know how to hit and kick people. I want to know how to defend myself if I need to. If someone attacked me, as a woman I find it unlikely that they would punch me in the face, I think it's more likely that they would hold me, maybe try to knock me to the floor. I want a self defence that has techniques for escaping from being held. I don't want to learn a defence that implies that someone who is heavier than me will have an advantage, and I don't want a defence that relies on physical strength because in both cases I'd always lose. I was looking for an art that would give me the confidence to handle situations as they arise, rather than living in fear of them or looking for them. 

Ki Aikido gives me everything I was looking for. An attacker's own attack is used against them, so I don't have to be physically strong, and I only need learn how to defend myself, not how to attack others. The movements are natural, so they can be performed seamlessly with normal activities - I don't have to prepare myself for an attack which I don't know is coming. I learn to defend myself from all kinds of attacks - not just punches and kicks. I find the practice also helps to relieve stress and leaves me calm, ready to live my life in peace again.