Natasha Ritchie

I would say that aikido doesn't make you smarter, it just attracts the more intelligent members of the species - those who are slightly above the idea that the answer to violence is to hurt someone. Coming from Belfast you see too many of the type who think the answer to every conflict is violence, whether it is necessary or not. So far, in my somewhat limited experience, I would definitely say that the people who do aikido already have the intelligence to act with more thought and consideration or they would be off somewhere learning how to break someones neck using their bare hands.