Martial Art Instruction Here at Shudokan Aikido West Bridgford we are a family right through from the husband and wife instructor team through to the students. Without doubt the emphasis at this dojo is the creation of a friendly training atmosphere where each and every student can improve their confidence and work safely towards their individual goals. Aikido is a powerful method of self protection that can be studied by men and women of all ages, and is widely taught to the police and armed forces across the world. It is based on turning and spinning movements which seek to redirect the force of the attack into the ground or back through the attacker, culminating in an immobilisation or projection. Specialist Services Ladies Self Defence Courses. Private Tuition. Both Available on request Aikido Aikido (the way of harmonising the energy of the universe) is first and foremost a martial art but it is also much more. At its most basic level Aikido is a system of throwing, joint-locking, striking and pinning techniques, coupled with training in the use of sword (bokken), staff (jo) and knife (tanto) techniques. Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba in the early twentieth century and has now grown to be one of the world's most popular martial arts. It places emphasis on practical efficiency, and is the style used to train women and anti-riot teams of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
Size, weight, age and physical strength play only a small role in Aikido, also making it a uniquely suited option for women, children and older students.
As a form of Budo (the martial way), Aikido is more than a fighting art. It is a path of personal discovery and character improvement. The path on which you have taken the first steps is different for each person but if you train hard you will see improvements in many areas of your life. Some of the benefits include increased physical fitness, improved self-confidence and a greater awareness of yourself and your boundaries as well as those of people around you.