Improve Health
and Vitality
How We Can Help
Our dojo is committed to providing a path for every student to achieve their unique goals.
No Fall Aikido
For many years, seniors have participated in our program and adjusted the practice to fit their abilities. This is standard to how we train. Aikido as a martial art is known for its joint locks, throws, and pins in defense against multiple attackers. While the techniques are rigorous for the young, they can be adjusted for seniors. The style of aikido we practice is specifically designed to be practiced without the throws, the most challenging aspect for seniors. At the same time, the training will be effective for self-defense, improve strength and flexibility, circulation, and general health as well as overall attitude. Our extensive weapons curriculum offers a pathway to improve health and vitality.
Benefits include:
- Learn new physical movements
- Engage socially
- Discipline your mind
- Improve your balance, strength, flexibility
- Learn self-defense
- Improve your health
- Learn to fall safely
You can earn your black belt in your later years and fend off the feeling that you are weak and vulnerable.
The mental discipline of martial arts training is widely known, and aikido is no exception. Further, seniors know full well the importance of remaining calm in the face of challenges to get the best result. Training in aikido targets precisely that result.
If one is concerned that Aikido practice may be too strenuous at first, our tai chi class is an excellent starting point.
Approval from your doctor for specific health issues is recommended.
Tai Chi for Health/Self-Defense
When I was studying tai chi, many people came to my teacher looking for improvements in their health through tai chi practice. In fact, I did as well. He would frequently tell people that if you want to improve your health through tai chi, study it for self-defense. Then your health would improve. I certainly found this to be true for myself. The point is to study the movements for their function and their purpose. Then you can investigate and understand them in depth. By studying the principles, you can learn to relax the body and allow the natural healing mechanisms to operate in full. However, by worrying about one’s health, the stress interferes with the healing process. Depending upon your medical condition, consultation with your doctor, whether western or Chinese medicine, may be your best place to start. However, tai chi is a wonderful form of exercise to improve balance, strengthen the legs and joints, improve energy levels, and calm the mind.
In tai chi practice, one practices solo forms slowly to investigate principles. The form itself does not teach self-defense. The form teaches skills that you can master by meditative investigation as you practice. In the absence of any pressure from an attacker, you can study how to root to the ground. Then you study how to connect your body from feet to hands so it functions as a single unit. Then the body can receive the power of the attack and release it without sustaining any damage. You learn to control the attackers force and defend yourself with minimal harm. After studying the 108 move Yang form, other forms such as Shaolin Kung Fu show how to use physical force and ultimately marry the physical force with the mind force of the tai chi forms. Then the practice of push hands competition can be used to test one's understanding of the forms. For those interested in extensive study of partner practices in self-defense, the aikido system engages in partner practice as self-defense exclusively.