What is Aikido? Beginner Guidelines and FAQ

Reading from the book entitled Best Aikido. The Fundamentals by Kisshomaru and Moriteru Ueshiba. (2002 p.14-19) - Captured Live on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/beauty-and-aikido

Answers to questions like:

• Why are there no contests in aikido?

• Will aikido make me strong?

• Is physical condition such as weight training necessary for aikido?

• What is the nature of ki in aikido? Is it the same as chi employed in Chinese martial arts?

• When I watch people practicing aikido they seem to spin around like tops. Can such a movement really be efficient as a martial art technique?

• During aikido training how much should we resist against the application of a technique?

• Isn't it a problem to remember so many techniques? (for more about aikido terms check out my two other blog posts The Aikido Effect and to have just a bit of fun Basic Terms you Need to Know to Survive Aikido

• What is the aikido approach to etiquette? (for more about dojo ettiquette here)

• What is the most important relation between aikido training and everyday life?

The Voice of Aikido- Ukemi

Another voice recording this time Chapter 4 from The Principles of Aikido by Mitsugi Saotome (1989 p.23-25)

As a beginner one of the first things you will learn in aikido is ukemi. It is used in aikido in order to prevent injuries when you are thrown. This voice material presents further explanations about the uke nage relationship and about ukemi. I cannot emphasize the importance on ukemi in the aikido training. The excerpt I am reading in this recording states it once again that taking the ukemi is not a break during doing techniques but an opportunity to improve it. Seeing how it feels like being thrown can make you understand better how the given technique is best performed. I think all of you already experienced how different it is to be thrown by a beginner or an advanced aikidoka. From person to person it is also different. From being gently rolled to finding yourself flying across the dojo, that is how varied ukemi can be. You can find further reading about ukemi here. 

My opinion is that the only way you can improve your ukemi is practicing it a lot. My ukemi started improving slightly when I went to my first summer aikido training camp. 

Please share with in a comment me how you improved your ukemi.