Aikido of Gainesville

The Aikido philosophy is to end conflict as soon as possible, when it changes from words to physical action, without causing unnecessary harm. This is done with a combination of Kinesthesia, understanding the body's position and motion in three-dimensional space and Kinematics, the physics of motion. For Kids and Teens this starts with simple techniques which put a bully on his butt or belly with minimum effort, then walk away. Karate, Brazilian Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do and others, emphasize fighting for points in competition as self-defense. That's their way, and it's OK. Aikido teaches to end the fight, without retaliation, and depart safely. With kids, we use games to promote coordination and awareness by watching all around and reacting. Rolling practice teaches how to prevent injury from falls and offers an alternate means of escape. The Aikido techniques develop coordination and body position awareness, focusing on strong positions and understanding how to take the balance of an aggressor and exploiting that weakness to successfully escape.