Spotlight on Sport...Aikido
One fine Saturday afternoon, I found myself on the mat, in my pristine gi, ready to face a formidable opponent...or maybe not. A more accurate description was probably a tiny girl in her newly acquired oversized gi about to face an opponent miles beyond her league. I was not ready to compete with anyone, not ready at all.
It was my first Shodohai competition, unplanned and unprepared. I came in thinking that it will be a normal Aikido session and at that time, I had been missing most of the lessons. So, you can imagine my utter shock when they put me down on the list to compete. What's even more revolting was that there were students from other universities who were also competing. I knew I should have googled the meaning of the term 'Shodohai' before leaving the comfort of my room that day. But oddly, I'm glad I did not. A 'Shodohai' is essentially a practice competition but it also means more than that and no search engine will tell you this. It is about challenging yourself, pushing yourself despite the odds. It was scary I admit, but it inspired me to train more so that I can improve and do better next time. It showed me that defeat is merely a stepping stone in mastering your fears. And that is exactly what Aikido is all about.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art and the particular style we learn in Nottingham is Shodokan Aikido. There are many techniques that we practice but most focus on grappling and softness. Hence, these moves do not necessarily require great amounts of force or strength but practice and precision. In fact, Aikido was first designed to be an art that enables practitioners to defend themselves while also minimising any injury to the attacker. It is also practiced by the Japanese Police Agency.
Aikido is also not defined by gender or by size. Indeed, we have a 50:50 ratio of girls to boys; a ratio tipping currently to the favour of the girls. The abilities and experience people have also varied, which means that you can partner up with a complete beginner or a complete pro. It doesn't matter what colour your belt is either because, as our coaches always reminds us, having a black belt means to simply be "the master of all beginners".
There are lots of opportunities to improve in your abilities, various events that would test your skills and allow you to learn more from others. That means more shodohais in different parts of the country and training with other coaches who are the best in the field. Gradings are also very frequent so if you're itching to upgrade your belt, you certainly can. And it's not all about training either, we have social events like a trip to Planet Bounce and we go to Nando’s far too much. We also do a crazy 14-hour Aikido training marathon annually to raise money for charity.
Like other martial arts, Aikido teaches you not a way to beat up people on the streets and look badass. NO. It's about defence and confidence. Break-falls are probably the first thing you learn in Aikido. You learn how to safely fall in all the ways one can fall. It might sound amusing at first but it is usually what... 'breaks' students, especially beginners in martial arts. I for one, am still terrified of forward rolls. It takes a while to be comfortable with just letting yourself fall, trusting your body to protect itself. And so the best lesson Aikido has ever imparted me is that of bravery. The courage to believe in those you work with and most importantly, the courage to believe in yourself.
Coming to uni, there were many things I was terrified to do, many I avoided as much as possible, but there were a few fears that I chose to embrace. Aikido was one of them and I couldn't be any happier. It is a community of crazy but really loving members who are always eager to learn and work with others. There are no expectations, just come as you are and be ready to learn. So what are you waiting for? Come (forward) roll with us!
You can find out more about Aikido at UoNSU and get in touch with us by visiting su.nottingham.ac.uk/sports/sport/aikido/.
By Aprilyn Umel