So, perhaps you’ve been convinced to try Aikido, or perhaps you’ve done Aikido
before and are looking for a new club in this area, or for whatever reason are
trying to decide where to train Aikido/Martial Arts and Kamo is one of your options.
There are many good clubs around the country, many good teachers, and many good
styles – so why should you come to us?
Well, when we were re-building this website we collected some of the thoughts
of the students at Kamo Aikido to try to put together some ideas about why
people currently train with us.
It perhaps shouldn’t have been a surprise that “fun” was so high on the list
of reasons that people gave for training regularly with Kamo, people noted
that even the instructors were having fun most of the time (sometimes at their
own expense!)
After all for us in Europe, Aikido is a leisure time pursuit, and there are
many other things people could be doing with their time. If we didn’t all
enjoy our training what would be the point in giving time every week to doing it?!
At Kamo Aikido we always try to remember two things when we teach and train:
Aikido training should be focused, but it should be fun too.
A number of our students noted that the style of Aikido that we practise at
Kamo very much appealed to them, these were people who’d perhaps trained with
one or more different styles of Aikido before, or even different martial arts.
Why does our style appeal so much to some people? Well like many things in
life it won’t appeal to absolutely everyone, but the way that we train in Aikido
is to build connection, understanding and communication between the two people
practising the techniques. We do not believe in trying to control people by
pain or by force, but by an understanding of what movements are safe and effective.
We teach that these movements must not be mechanical repetition of formulas, but
based on a genuine connection and understanding between training partners, so that
the way a defender (or tori in Japanese Aikido speak) moves to neutralise an attack
is determined by the movements of the attacker (or uke).
When you are looking to choose a martial arts club of any sort, and especially
in Aikido, a good question to ask the instructors at the club is: “Who is
YOUR teacher?” For Aikido, like any art, is a life long journey if people so
choose and for practitioners to continue to develop, at whatever level, it is
essential that they continue to receive external input, guidance and instruction.
At Kamo our club instructors take regular instruction both in England and
Overseas with a number of senior teachers within the Aikikai, in particular we
follow three teachers from Scandinavia: Mouliko Halen (6th Dan) from Sunyata
Aikido in Oslo and Jan Nevelius (6th Dan) and Jorma Lyle (5th Dan) from Vanadis
Aikido in Stockholm; these teachers, who teach regularly to large classes all
over Europe and the rest of the world, all come to England for Seminars each
year at Kamo.
A number of people made the point that they found Aikido Clubs in general,
and Kamo in particular, welcoming places to be.
At Kamo we emphasise support and co-operation within our training, we
don’t believe that humiliation, pain or fear have any place as learning tools,
and we therefore try to welcome and make comfortable everyone training with
us. We believe that a good, friendly social atmosphere both on and off the
mat enhances the training experience for all of the people involved.
All members are encouraged to engage socially, whether with our club meals
or outings or for a casual after training drink, and it’s our belief that
by building a supportive and friendly atmosphere the club as a whole benefits.
New course dates announced.