Navy Marine Aikido Club and San Diego Jiai Aikido Celebrates First Anniversary with One of the Nation's Top Shihans

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San Diego Sailors and Marines, not only prepare to go into harm's way, but train with friends and family from several western states in this weekend's Aikido Seminar with Hiroshi Ikeda, Shihan, of Boulder Aikikai and Aikido Schools of Ueshiba. Aikido is a dynamically effective and graceful self-defense martial art, that focuses on blending in harmony with an aggressive attacker, and changing that negative energy into positive, turning the attacker into a series of wrist or joint locks and special techniques that diffuse the situation and subdue the attacker into control.

The Navy-Marine Aikido Club is celebrating their first anniversary at San Diego's newest and largest dojo with this weekend's (18-20 February) seminar featuring Hiroshi Ikeda, Shihan, from Boulder Aikikai of "Aikido Schools of Ueshiba". Hosted by San Diego Jiai Aikido, the weekend includes extensive training in the dynamics and art of this graceful and powerful Japanese martial art. Members of the Navy-Marine Aikido Club spent the last few weeks assisting Jiai Aikido in preparation for the event. Practicing Aikido is a phenomenal way to find balance and harmony amidst the conflict and stress of everyday life, work and combat, especially for Sailors and Marines who deploy into harms' way. Many law enforcement agencies incorporate or encourage Aikido training for their personnel, because it not only provides exceptional self-defense against many fighting styles and weapons, but focuses on controlling the attacker versus harming them as many offensive martial arts do finish. This is particularly important during Post-Combat Phase Operations of a Campaign, and/or during Peacekeeping, Peace Enforcement, Humanitarian Assistance, Non-Combat Evacuations or Riot-Crowd Control missions, when hand-to-hand defensive skills may be required, but non-destructive results to the assailants.

The philosophy and techniques of Aikido are superb for Marines and Sailors, because it increases their self-defense capabilities dramatically when practiced routinely. The application of Aikido for Shore Patrol(SP) or Security Force personnel is ideal. When SP's have to detain a drunken, aggressive, belligerent individual, not only could the SP's be able to protect themselves, but the principles of Aikido would allow them to dissolve the situation with minimal injury. More profound is how the principles of Aikido can help dissolve an incident between an aggressive, angry foreign national when visiting a foreign country. Should the SP's or Sailor/Marine on liberty be confronted by aggressive assailants, dissolving the conflict and subduing the attackers without serious harm is a great way to reduce the possibility of an international incident.

Members of the Navy-Marine Aikido Club enjoy the training at Jiai Aikido Dojo, Monday through Friday 6pm-7pm & 6:15-8:15pm, and Tuesdays/Thursdays 1230-1:30pm. Aikido is a great way to get your spouse/significant other involved in your training and improving her/his self-defense skills for when the servicemenber is deployed over the horizon.

For personnel in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), Aikido is superbly suited to enhance their skills and the attainment of a black belt in Aikido meets one of the prerequisites for MCMAP 4th degree Black Belt, plus improve quality of life by training with spouse and children.

If you are interested in experimenting with Jiai Aikido or joining the Navy-Marine Aikido Club, check out the website, or stop by San Diego Jiai Aikido Dojo during class hours, 980 Buenos Ave Suite C, off W.Morena Blvd, between the I-5 & I-8 near SPAWAR, MCRD, Old Town and USD.

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Jason Haines
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