Suzanne Gonzales-Webb

Adjunct Faculty Instructor @Mesa Community College

Mesa, AZ, US

Mesa Community College, Adult Instruction of Aikido for Self Defense. Covering Aikido fundamentals including martial art techniques for self-defense focused on using an attacker’s force to an advantage, controlling the oncoming attack, subduing without needing to harm the attacker. Students alternate providing and receiving attacks from practice partners. Traditional discipline of body, mind, breath of the sport will be reviewed. Weapons practice, history and meditation may be introduced at the discretion of the instructor.Aikido in this class setting consists of instructor demonstration and application of traditional Aikido technique. Student partners will alternate executing technique, as well as learning and performing attacks as part of class practice. Practice includes joint locks and redirection to control an aggressor, undoing incoming conflict physically and mentally. Students will be educated in the ‘art of falling\' safely.Instruction will connect student partners through basic technique, emphasizing posture and breathing, as well as stretching and conditioning drills to develop physical coordination, flexibility, agility and greater endurance. Aikido terminology, etiquette and brief history will be covered as part of lecture. As the course progresses, basic Aikido weapons may be introduced to include wooden staff(yo), wooden sword (bokken) and/or bamboo shinai.Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art developed early in the 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba as a blend of his martial studies, philosophy and religious beliefs. The aim was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attackers from injury-“…to unify the mind and body and to promote peace, harmony, and cooperation among all beings.” Unlike other martial arts, it is about undoing aggression and conflict, rather than escalating or celebrating them. Based on its philosophy, there are no competitions in Aikido.

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