Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Isn't he just falling down for her?
A. It depends.
An Aikido throw can look so improbably and impossibly smooth and effortless that it is easy to believe it is faked.
It isn't. It's physics.
The laws of physics are just as strictly enforced at Aikido schools as they are on motor -cycles or on ski slopes. If you have ever been a beginning skier, you know from painful experience just how devastating the forces of physics can be. Saying that the attacker fell down"for" the Aikidoist is like saying the beginning skier fell down "for" the mountain. The advanced skier has learned to use the forces ; a small shift in weight or position is the difference between crashing into a tree or swooshing effortlessly through a turn and down a slope.
An accomplished skier and flying across the snow is wildly improbable to the frustrated beginner as an accomplished Aikidoist flying across the mat - but neither one is faking. Skiing is real motorcycles are real and Aikido is real.
Sensei Black
Q: Do I need previous experience?
A: No, we will work with you and over time and practice you will have the experience
Q: Do I need a uniform?
A: Not at the beginning, only track pants and a t-shirt will do, but eventually a GI is required.
Q: When can I join?
A: You can join anytime during our training year.
Techniques are learned through training with a partner, not an opponent. You must always be careful to practice in such a way that you temper the speed and power of your techniques in accordance with the abilities of your partner. Your partner is lending his/her body to you to practice. Harmonizing the movements allows a coordinated effort to optimize the experience and techniques of Aikido.
|
