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Old 03-14-2008, 07:10 PM   #12
Angela Dunn
Dojo: Hartlepool/Peterlee/Billingham
Location: Hartlepool,UK
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 69
England
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Re: why do you train, why do you continue and benefits of training?

Oh Okay, why not then, glad to help out a student!

1)why Aikidokas start training,

My reason why is probably a lot different than other peoples, in the regards that I had no previous Martial marts training and I was the definition of unfit both physically and mentally (Yeah I will admit at that point suicidal). Instead I saw an advert in the paper and thought nothing off it, till I was googling something for work. Clicked the wrong link, up came an article about aikido and actually my sensei, later that week another advert appeared in the paper and I got in touch for more info. The replies I got back made me both think this is something that could be beneficial to me and made me laugh!, My Sensei's email in particular made me think I got to meet this person so I did. Got given a suit, told to get changed into it and chucked into the deep end. I loved it and I was hooked.

2) why do they still train and
Two main reasons, socially its a greatly diverse crowd that goes and I feel happy and comfortable in their company, its a place where I can be myself and if I make someone bleed/accidentally whack someone in the nose/ am my usual walking disaster area that should come with my own government health warnings then they tell me its okay rather than making me feel like a first class muppet. Very important for me that one(I have splds and that's an effect of that, I feel normal around the people who attend and feel like I finally fit in somewhere) . Also the people who go are um stereotypically social groups that I would not normally have a chance to meet and its great cos I have gotten to know new people and have made new mates.

Physically I keep going because the stuff I am learning is both cool, the moves work and I want to be able to say yes I managed that, great! I really do want to learn the moves I am shown and I want to progress and get better at it. Plus I think I am getting fitter and certainly am a lot less stressed and feel a lot happier since I started aikido.

3) the personal benefits gained from training.
Mentally I am more happier and confident in myself and am more likely to try new things that would have seemed well out of my scope before (Like public speaking), but also more confident to try and sort out issues myself rather than let myself get dragged down. I am fitter , generally am much happier and have something to look forward to beside work and its also given me something to aim for. Definitely am not suicidal now which can partly be put down to me attending the classes, its a new interest, given me some respect both in myself and from others around me and esteem, the stuff we learn in class is cool, its knocked some discipline into me.

Basically its helped to give me the kick up the bum to change the parts of my life I was not happy about and helped me to explore a different side of me.
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