MSU Aikido Fall 2012

If you're reading this, your are probably looking to take the Aikido course through MSU's instructional program, and you may be wondering "What is Aikido". Well you are in the right place.

Wikipedia provides a pretty concise answer:
Aikido (合気道 Aikidō^?) [a.i.ki.doː] is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury..

As a relativity new art derived from classical Japanese martial arts, I'm particularly interested in the holistic applicability of Aikido to 21st century life.  From dealing with conflict both physical and non-physical, to general fitness and basic injury prevention, I believe strongly that Aikido is practical for everyone young and old.  Shoot me an e-mail if you have questions about the the class: leifsummerfield@gmail.com


Here are some representative clips of what Aikido looks like.

Here is my teacher's teacher, Mitsugi Saotome


A well done basic overview:



Here is a video showing all of the techniques I will cover in this beginner class: