Shameless Self Promotion: Aikido

Soo...everyone knows I'm a martial artist, right? I'm training in two arts these days. One is called kali and it's a filipino weapons system. I don't really have any video of that except for this one which is way old. The other art is aikido. The aikido school recently moved to a new location (kali is also housed here) and one of the things I'm doing as the dojo administrator to promote the school is put together a couple of videos that we can send to our friends and family to stir up some interest and potentially bring in some students.

This is the highlight reel of my last aikido test back in February. I tested for 2nd kyu which means I have 1st kyu next and then black belt (2-4 years, depending). This rank was a hard one because I was still dealing with some of the aftermath of Autumn's birth (I wasn't declared completely healed until August, 6 months after this test). But happily, I didn't do that badly!

In case anyone is interested in what aikido is...short explanation: it's a defensive system consisting primarily of joint locks and throws. Slightly longer but not even remotely comprehensive answer: Aikido is designed so that practitioners can use the attacker's energy against him or herself through some type of redirection while protecting ourselves as well as the attacker. The latter is probably one of the major things that sets aikido apart and a reason why so many peace and nonviolence advocates train in aikido. There are times for strikes, and in these throws and locks there are definitely hidden strikes (and stuff like arm breaks) but by and large aikido is an art of peace and protection.






If anyone is interested in aikido, I'm probably the best person to contact. If anyone is interested in kali, I can hook you up with my instructor. Really, if you're at all interested in training, Memphis Judo and Jiu Jitsu is a fantastic first place to visit. I've known the owner David for several years and have trained with many of the instructors there.