Who Can Practice Aikido?
One of the most common questions we hear from people considering joining a dojo is whether Aikido is right for them. The standard answer is yes, Aikido is designed for everyone to practice. That doesn't mean it can be practiced by just anyone, though.
Unlike most modern martial arts, it isn't built around competition or hard contact, so it doesn't demand the fitness level or physical toughness that keeps many people away from other sports.
Aikido is a nonviolent martial art — there are no competitions or fights involved, which makes it accessible to the wider public. The physical forms must be very precise, even restrictive. But that doesn't mean physical limitations can't be adapted for.
In Ki Aikido, we focus on the body to educate the mind — the body is just the doorway to train the mind. We train movement carefully because making correct movement is our chance to put the mind's own movements in order. If the body is correct, the mind can think correctly too.
That's why the way we treat the body in Ki Aikido isn't one of abuse, or of pushing past physical limits. We learn to use it correctly — relaxed, natural, comfortable movements for the body — so the mind can be educated properly.
Why Isn't Ki Aikido for Everyone?
The main reason is that Ki Aikido, practiced through the coordination of mind and body, is an art that looks closely at the mind. Body movements are nothing more than its reflection. If the mind is disordered, the body will be too.
Finding the truth about yourself isn't always comfortable, and that's what makes this practice difficult — not difficult in the modern sense, of pushing past extraordinary physical limits, but difficult through the mental discipline it takes to reach that state. It's the main difference from other martial arts.
Most students notice a profound change once they pass their first exam. Not a change in the techniques they've learned, but in what shifts in their subconscious, and in how they function in daily life. That's often exactly where it becomes difficult to keep practicing — because students notice that change happening in their subconscious and in the way they operate day to day. Not all of us are ready for change. Sometimes the way the subconscious reacts to it is to run, and students simply stop practicing Aikido, even when it's good for them.
What Are the Conditions to Start Practicing?
The only long-term condition, really, is to come to the dojo every week. Consistency is the key to changing the subconscious mind.
Of course, there are etiquette rules that should be followed at every class. Some of them may look restrictive to some people, and that's completely fine.
Physical condition shouldn't be a blocker to your practice at any time. There are many stories of Aikido practitioners around the globe practicing with different health conditions. So don't wait for the perfect moment or the perfect shape to start.
Come and Feel It