Aikido: gentle self-defense
By Sean Meyers
Of the Emerald
Tod Schneider became disenchanted with karate
when he was seriously injured in a tournament and
spent a few too many years recovering
Still fragile following surgery, he sought and found
a "softer'' style of martial arts to fill the void Almost a
contradiction in terms, Aikido is a peaceful" means of
self-defense
"Aikido" is a composite of the words harmony and
love.
"Aikido has done a number of things for me," says
Schneider, a graduate journalism student at the
University "It's contributed to my feelings of well being
in general, and to my confidence, heightened my
awareness of other people's energies and how to
harmonize with them and sharpened my focus on many
levels.
"Aikido is a much softer style," Schneider says
Rather than confronting energy, the focus of the
training is blending with the energy of the attack,
harmonizing with it."
On the other hand, "Karate is by and large a
hard-style martial art it involves confronting energy,
stopping it and retaliating," says Schneider. "As far as
that goes, it’s very effective For many people that is
comfortable for them. But I found that it didn't fit my
personality and the way I wanted to approach people "
The organization's "dojo," or school, is located at
1091 Olive St in Eugene. Aikido Northwest, run by
instructor Glenn Bluestone, will be offering a special
Christmas holiday special for anyone interested in
learning more about the sport The two-week training,
which costs $15, will start Dec. 20 and includes six or
more one-hour classes.
The center has about two dozen adults enrolled in
the beginning or advanced programs and a youth class
with half a dozen children ages seven to 12
Female pupils are encouraged, says Schneider
"At times we've had up to 90 percent women in
some classes," says Schneider. "We really welcome
women to come participate The lack of a macho
atmosphere at the schools makes it more comfortable
for them."
The center advertises its product as "a peaceful
Japanese martial art emphasizing harmony of
movement" that has the goal of "improving your health
and raising your levels of physical and mental energy
through martial arts training "
The art is "not a technique to fight with or defeat
the enemy It is the way to reconcile the world and make
human beings one family," the advertisement says.
The art form, a relatively new discipline, was
pioneered by Master Morihei Uyeshiba, a Japanese
martial arts expert who, under attack from a disturbed
former pupil, repelled the attack by dodging and
blending with blows and diverting the attacker's energy
until the attacker was exhausted
It is rumored that Uyeshiba had developed his art to
the point where he could see the path of bullets fired
from a gun and dodge them.
According to an'advertising brochure, a man
without Aikido is "like a rabbit paralyzed by the glare of
a snake, a mentally unprepared person is no match for a
determined attacker — even if you happen to be
stronger than your aggressor."
The beginner's regimen includes "vigorous"
body-stretching exercises designed to involve all mus
cles and joints in bending, twisting, rolling and falling to
increase aerobic capacity
Goals are to increase concentration and percep
tion, flexibility, balance, cardio-respiratory and mus
cular endurance and coordination.
Photo by Mark Pynes
Instructor Glenn Bluestone helps two beginning
students through Aikido exercises
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Dorm director to travel
Dick Romm, housing director
of residence life, will leave the
University Dec. 17 for a traveling
sabbatical along the West
Coast
Romm will study how special
interest residence halls are
working and being marketed at
other universities, such as the
University of Washington and
San Francisco- and Los
Angeles area colleges The
University housing department
started the specialty halls, with
such themes as academic pur
suit and environment, about two
years ago.
Housing director Dan Wil
liams will pick a new housing
department Residence Hall
Governance Committee repre
sentative to replace Romm
Romm's directorship will not be
filled
Romm will return to work Aug
18