When asked to identify a form of martial arts, most would answer with karate, taekwondo or even judo. Few would respond with aikido, a martial art that isn’t very wellknown but is highly respected by those who practice it.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art designed around the concept of using attackers’ movements against them through redirection, rather than meeting conflict with more conflict.
“Aikido focuses on not harming the other person,” said club president David Simmons, a chemical engineering graduate student. “The idea is to protect myself, protect my opponent and resolve the conflict. Aikido itself means the way of harmonious energy.’”
Classes in the UT Aikido Club are divided into beginning and advanced. Both classes begin with stretching and basic exercises. In the beginning class, techniques are performed at a slower pace so that members can learn the basic concepts.
“It is a good self-defense mechanism,” said Andre Gonzalez, an economics junior. “You learn to use your opponent’s energy against them without hurting them.”
The club provides a strong basis of support for its new members by providing highly skilled aikido instructors.
“The group has quite a few blackbelt instructors, which gives the club an advantage in terms of knowledge and hands-on instruction,” Simmons said. “The head instructor in the beginning class, Dan Hamilton, is a thirddegree black belt.”
Several students in the Aikido Club learned the sport after practicing other martial arts. They said they found aikido to be a goo complement to martial arts that emphasize different aspects of the discipline.
“I am a practitioner of taekwondo and wanted another martial art to go with it,” said Johnny Chambers Jr., a Chinese junior. “Taekwondo focuses on blocks and kicks, whereas aikido focuses on locks and throws.”
There’s a reason the form isn’t as popular as other martial arts. Even Simmons was skeptic when he first attended aikido meetings.
“When I first came to aikido, I thought it wasn’t real because the movements are so small,” he said. “After participating and feeling the techniques firsthand, it became very engrossing. I was able to learn a practical form of self-defense.”
The UT Aikido Club is preparing to host a nationwide camp this summer that is designed to offer a variety of aikido sessions to advanced students and teachers of the sport from around the country for four days of training.
The club has beginning classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. The club welcomes all people regardless of skill level.
