Find out whether to start training aikido and which school to give preference to quickly master this technique. Many modern people prefer to spend their evenings at the computer or in front of the TV screen. However, there are those who want to maintain their health and start to play sports. Fortunately, the number of the latter is constantly increasing. There are a large number of sports disciplines, and everyone can definitely find something to their liking. Often, the choice falls on oriental martial arts. Thanks to the films of Steven Seagal, the popularity of aikido has increased and people attend the sections.
Aikido training for beginners will not only help you improve your health, become stronger and faster, but also teach you how to stand up for yourself. This art of fighting is fundamentally different from others. First of all, this concerns striking techniques, which are practically absent in aikido. Not all people have great physical strength, but in this case you will not need it.
This type of martial arts involves the development of other forces. To defeat your opponent, you must first of all correctly distribute the weight of your own body and use the enemy's aggression to your advantage. In one of the books, Gozo Shioda wrote that for practicing aikido, there is enough strength that allows you to lift a load weighing 30 kilos from the ground. At the same time, Shioda himself weighed 50 kilograms, and his height slightly exceeded 150 centimeters. Regular aikido training for beginners will allow you to master an effective self-defense system, improve coordination of movements, as well as flexibility.
If you are interested in aikido, we suggest answering a few questions:
- Do you feel like a hunter or a victim in a stressful situation?
- Why do most people develop health problems after age 30?
- How does a passive lifestyle affect metabolism?
- How does the spinal column respond to prolonged sitting?
- Who needs a sick helpless person?
- What do you choose: to constantly take pills so as not to experience health problems or to develop strength in yourself?
It was not an exam, and you answered yourself first of all. If you choose a sport and want to know what aikido training should be for beginners, then keep reading this article.
What schools of aikido are there?
This is a very important issue that we simply must consider. First of all, this applies to residents of large cities, since in the regions the choice may be small. Aikido is booming today, and fraudsters are common. Also, you must remember that there cannot be distance learning in aikido.
Only working with a trainer will allow you to master the intricacies of this martial art. Formal schools have trial coaching to help you choose your teacher. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.
Basic principles of aikido
First, aikido training for beginners is devoted to mastering the basic principles of the martial art. The Japanese masters say that your body should be triangular and your mind should be round. The triangle in this case represents energy. The circle, in turn, is a symbol of purity and perfection.
The stance is important, which is the foundation of your technique. Your limbs should be centered and in this case you are free to move. The physical center of the body is the abdomen, and all movements should be like water - soft, docile and capable of breaking stones.
Your feet should be on the attack line at right angles to each other. Watch your back. Which should be straightened, and the shoulders laid back. Place your hands in front of you in the center, and leave your palms open. Now let's consider other fundamental principles, without knowledge of which aikido training for beginners loses its relevance.
Shutyu-Ryoku - Focused Power
When a person uses physical strength, he primarily relies on his muscles. In aikido, it is necessary to focus the strength of individual parts of the body at one point. As a result, you will be able, if necessary, to manifest a much greater power, which is called shutyu-river. It can manifest itself only if your whole body moves in one focus.
By using the shutyu-river, you are able to concentrate the strength of the whole body at one point. However, if the speed of movement of body parts is different, then you will fail. To develop this skill, you do not need to use the strength of the upper body. Moreover, when it is activated, the energy flows will slow down, and you will not be able to use the syutu-river.
For maximum concentration, you need to keep your body relaxed. The technique of this type of martial arts involves the active use of this focused power. The goal of aikido training for beginners is to develop the skill of using the shutyu river. We will now reveal to you one secret - focused power is in the big toes. When they are pressed to the ground, the energy flows into the legs.
If you add to this the springy movement of the knee joint, then your power will increase many times over. When all of these actions are combined into one, you gain a large amount of power. This tells us to develop the toes at the earliest opportunity.
Tyusin River - the strength of the center line
The principle of the center line is extremely important for mastering the technique of aikido. For many people, even if they are confident that they are standing upright, the center line is not positioned correctly. This leads to the fact that at the moment of the beginning of the movement you leave it and as a result you cannot develop the power of breathing. Only if you learn to hold your center line at all times will the force be focused.
Once you can concentrate your strength, you can improve your stability and control your breathing. In aikido, special training is used for this - kamae. Thus, one of your main tasks is the training of the stable center, which is used in the further development of martial art techniques.
Kokyu-river - the power of breath
Breathing power should be understood as what develops at the point of interaction of your concentrated power with another person. In this matter, rhythm and spirit are of great importance. The latter concept implies the ability to eliminate all emotions that interfere with concentration. Get out of your mind all thoughts, such as "I'll try", "maybe learn from me", etc.
In this case, you will be able to "read" the actions of the enemy, anticipating them. As a result, it will be possible to move at the speed that is needed at a particular moment in time. Rhythm should be understood as one's own breathing. In simpler terms, you should inhale and inhale when needed. If you learn to combine rhythm, concentration and breathing, then a kokyu-river will appear. It is not necessary to do special aikido training for beginners to develop breathing. This is a natural action for any living being, and as your skill grows, everything will come by itself.
Master your balance
In aikido, the term "ki" is often used, which has many meanings. However, we are only interested in those that are directly related to the martial art. This is the energy that is generated by the fusion of the correct stance, center line of the body, breathing and focused force. In other words, these are all the skills that we have already considered with you.
Japanese aikido masters define "ki" as the ability to master balance. If your training is regular, you can learn to predict all the steps of your opponent and correctly build your counter-actions. We can say with complete confidence that one of the main tasks of every beginner is to master the skill of creating and controlling energy.
If you delve into the intricacies of the art of fighting, then the global meaning of the concept of "ki" becomes clear - the very essence of the universe. When a person reaches harmony with the universe, he is in a state of balance. Pay attention to the very name "aikido". The first part of the word "aiki" means the harmonization of energy. In other words, you must get rid of your own ego and obey the laws of the universe.
Irimi - ascent
In aikido technique, there are no rectilinear movements, but only radial ones are used. It is with their help that you can redirect your opponent's energy without pushing it against yours. In addition, radial movements allow you to get as close as possible to the enemy and apply one or another combat technique against him. When performing radial movements, situations arise in which you are located in the center, and uke turns around you. Opposite cases can also occur when you make a turn around uke.
It is important to remember that radial motion is not necessarily a circle; it could well be, say, a spiral. However, in any case, only this type of movement allows you to change the direction of the force without disrupting the flow of energy. In order to bring the kaiten movement to its logical conclusion, it is important to ensure that your center of gravity is firmly fixed. Otherwise, you will not be able to maintain your balance at the end of the turn. Thanks to the ability to maintain a center of gravity, you can freely shift your body weight from one leg to the other. Spherical motion presupposes the presence of two forces: centrifugal and centripetal. To understand the difference between the two, imagine a fast revolving table with objects mounted on it.
The centripetal force moves them to the center, and the centrifugal force tries to throw them off. They are widely used in aikido. To make a throw, you need to make a turn or rotation around your opponent. As an analogy, it is appropriate to cite the strength of the hurricane and the wind blowing in the same direction. Which one do you think will win?
We have now only covered the basic principles used in aikido. More often than not, the impression one gets after the first aikido training for beginners is the most correct one. When choosing a coach, we recommend that you pay attention to how he presents information and how accessible it is for you. Also take a closer look at the group itself.
It often happens that the coach himself is liked in everything, but the environment turned out to be uncomfortable. This can slow down your progress. To avoid this situation, ask the mentor to transfer you to another group. We also note that you need to prepare for serious work, because you will have to learn a lot and for a long time.
For more on striking techniques in aikido for beginners, see below:
