Aikido
Self-Defense Without Violence
April 3, 2008
By Corinne Bowen
Photography By Bryan Burris
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Many a time I’ve turned down a friend’s offer to walk me to my car at night, only to realize — once inside a dark, vacant parking lot — that I was frightened. I’m not paranoid: Nationally, 2.5 million women were the victim of homicide, rape, robbery or assault in 2005, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Feelings of vulnerability led me to Baltimore Aikido Academy, where I took a beginner’s class in the martial-arts discipline on a recent Monday evening.
The Baltimore Aikido Academy in Parkville is a friendly place. The first class is free, and I found the regular group of students welcoming and eager to share their experiences. I wore comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and arrived early to talk with the teacher, who is addressed as “Sensei” according to aikido tradition. The Sensei explained that aikido is 99 percent self-defense. Aikido training teaches you how to position yourself to respond to an attacker with a system of movements that will neutralize the attack without violence. Like other self-defense training, aikido practice helps women develop confidence and improves strength, endurance, coordination and balance. (It also opens up a whole new network of friends!)
Class began with stretching exercises. The atmosphere was low-key, but the teacher and students demonstrated discipline and respect toward each other and toward the practice itself.
Learning how to fall properly is an integral part of aikido. We worked on falling individually before pairing up to practice defense techniques. I was matched with an experienced student who walked me through a series of movements as the attacker and as the defender. As the attacker I practiced strikes and grabs; as the defender I focused on throws and pins. The Sensei worked with students in small groups, teaching easy-to-remember defense techniques for real life.
At the beginning of the class I was self-conscious and afraid of falling. As I got the hang of it, I realized that knowing how to fall actually boosted my confidence. Falling and returning to a standing position are part of the sequences that we practiced in pairs. It wasn’t easy. The movements demand a lot of your muscles, especially in the lower body. For the next few days I could feel the hard work I’d done.
Baltimore Aikido Academy
7908 Harford Road
Parkville, MD 21234
410-882-5859
www.traditionalfightingarts.org/aikido
i...@traditionalfightingarts.org
Baltimore Aikido
1024 Light St.
Baltimore 21230
410-727-2318
baltimoreaikido.com
chaw...@gmail.com
Aiki Martial Arts Institute
227C Gateway Drive
Bel Air, MD 21014
410-420-3408
www.aikimartialarts.com
aik...@aikimartialarts.com
