We asked aikido students via Facebook to tell us one thing that they would want to communicate about aikido to the world and why they chose it. Here is a sample of what they said:
‘Aikido is beauty in motion’
‘I would explain about the way it is used in harmony with others. The reason is you can affect people in a positive way in every day situations, which you do not get in the majority of other martial arts’.
‘Quite simply, having practiced a very different martial art before for some 20 years, I have found that Aikido makes me feel so happy!’
‘Aikido is ethics made physical.’
‘The idea that conflict can be dealt with easily with a smile on my face.’
‘Aikido offers unique training for mind-body-spirit. An opportunity to experience peace and harmony as you deal with the practical issues of conflict.’
‘Aikido helps you find the best possible outcome of adverse circumstances.’
‘That Aikido is the art of living peacefully...With yourself, your opponent, your community and the world. I choose this because it seems to be the core of O Sensei's teaching.’
‘A way to refine myself to hold/be in a more positive space as I move through the world; this seems to give others the opportunity to have a space in which to breath, relax, soften and grow.’
It’s fair to say that we all practice for our own reasons and maybe we all have a slightly different take on what it is all about, but all of the statements above emphasize something other than the martial aspect of aikido and most focus on what we might call positive outcomes.
This is the gift of aikido, it offers fundamental principles within the practice of a physical art, which when applied by the skillful practitioner simply make you feel good. What is more, these principles can be applied just as successfully off the mat, in everyday situations and, (surprise, surprise), they make people feel just as good then. So International Aiki Peace Week gives us the chance to communicate an important and powerful message to each other, to our students and to the world at large. So whether you signed up for IAPW, simply because you thought the idea deserved support or because it gave you a real chance to do something different within your dojo or local community, doesn’t matter. It is all positive energy and in your own way, you are taking a step to change the world for the better and that is a very good thing!
We hope you find this message inspirational and would ask that you share it with your students and your aikido contacts.
Quentin Cooke
Chair of Aikido for Daily Life
Aiki Extensions Director
