With Aikido Size Doesn’t Matter

Are you keen in learning Aikido but something is stopping you? You may be worried that this martial art can be learned by only people of a specific size. If so, you are mistaken, as anyone can learn this art of defense irrespective of the size. The founder of Aikido had himself said that size doesn’t matter when it comes to learning Aikido. Read on to know what matters and what doesn’t matters in learning Aikido.

Available To All

Aikido, a Japanese martial art is about six fundamental training movements and 150 common defensive techniques. Anyone who learns to master these basic conditions can be an expert of Aikido irrespective of the size. Remember the following points:

• * Aikido is about a cooperative development of both physical and mental strength.
• * Aikido is available to all irrespective of age, size, gender, race and culture.

Fitness

Though we do agree that Aikido can be learned irrespective of size, we do recommend that the learner should be fit to learn it. Aikido is all about pushing and extending movements and for this it is important for you to be fit and not worry about your size. Even an overweight person can be fit to learn Aikido if he has the strength to make the desired movements. It is true that many martial arts emphasize on weight training but Aikido is an exception to this. Fitness for Aikido can be measured in the following four terms:

• * Relaxation
• * Flexibility
• * Endurance
• * Strength

Training

It has been observed that many people who want to be trained in Aikido hesitate due to their size. However, there is no need to restrain from Aikido training due to your size, all you need to know are some important facts:

• * Aikido can be learned through regular and continued training, no matter whatever size you have.
• * Before starting the Aikido training, the trainees are advised to sit quietly in a kneeling position.
• * Irrespective of the size, trainees should observe all the proper etiquettes of Aikido at all times.
• * Remember, that no one else will be responsible for your Aikido training but you. It is you who have to devote yourself to learn this art.
• * Even an overweight person who is good in observing and modifying both physical and psychological patterns of behavior can master the art of Aikido.
• * Cultivating a sense of self-awareness if more important than size when it comes to learning Aikido.
• * Aikido training is a non competitive but cooperative enterprise and is best learned with a partner irrespective of the size.
• * Aikido is also about understanding the relationship between the body size and type and to know how our body behaves while bending and kneeling.
• * Those who succeed in learning the connection between leverages, balance, energy and motion in respect to different body sizes and types can easily master the art of Aikido.

So, you now know that anyone can learn the art of Aikido irrespective of size, what matters is your fitness, endurance, strength and training concepts.