Just before you click elsewhere - yes fighting and meeting aggression is not what we women want. We are more subtle ..... in the ways we go about things...... aren't we, ladies?
Sue (Coach & 4th Dan)
The clip above shows Sue, one of our Club Coaches teaching on a Lancashire Aikikai course in 2017
Not all martial arts are the same; they all come with different personalities and styles. Aikido is unique because, at its core, it teaches you two things: first, to move to avoid incoming attacks, and second, to blend with them (harnessing the energy of the attack and redirecting it into a throw or restraining move). In fact, “Aikido” translates as “the way of spirit and harmony.” It’s a non-competitive martial art, so there’s no fighting – we don’t meet force with force; instead, we meet it with control.
Aikido is a fantastic art for people of any gender or age, but it’s especially great for women. We have a head start over our male friends in learning this exciting martial art, because we aren’t necessarily as naturally strong and powerful as many men. In Aikido, pure strength is actually a hindrance, rather than a help! Women generally learn and master Aikido techniques faster than men because we haven’t become accustomed to relying on strength; instead, we learn to execute the correct technique.
In Aikido, all movement comes from the hips – something women do instinctively because our centre of gravity is usually lower than men’s. That’s a great advantage because in Aikido, our aim is to blend with (and move) our partner with as little effort as possible.
In Aikido we think of our ‘partner’ as someone to work with in order to achieve a mutual goal rather than our ‘opponent’, which implies a struggle against one another. This makes learning Aikido much easier as every student passes on what they have learned with their fellow students to their future partners. This cooperation between students makes for a friendly and helpful dojo environment.
So what will coming to train with us in Trafford Aikido do for you?
You’ll be able to carry the skills you learn into your workplace and everyday life and use them to build your confidence and ability to work with and relate to others.
Because of the way our classes are structured, beginners are welcome to start at any class. So come along and have a go at something different!
Want to know more? Read our “FAQ for Women” and our “Want to Start?” pages for more information about beginning aikido.
Trafford Aikido we have two high-ranking ladies, Sue and Hephzi, on our coaching team. If you want ask them about their experience as female aikido practitioners, they’d be happy to tell you more – feel free to contact them anytime.
The clip above shows some moves from a class in 2017
