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Old 04-17-2007, 08:23 AM   #4
Aran Bright
Dojo: Griffith Aikido Yuishinkai
Location: Brisbane
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 120
Australia
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Re: "Blending Physical Therapy with Martial Arts"

I am a massage therapist and while I like to focus on the more clinical aspects of that discipline the skills and intuition that you develop in aikido training carry over very well.

I am sure there is a large number of people who train in aikido and work in massage and other manual medicine fields such as physiotherapy and acupuncture. Understanding the 'ki' phenomena as well adds an extra dimension to your skill base and allows you to work longer hours with less fatigue. Weight underside is an important principle and when done correctly can trigger spontaneous releases of muscle locked in spasm.

The flip side of this is that I also think that the manual therapies are a good option for those that may like to consider aikido as a career option, I don't know if there are that many opportunities to be a professional instructor but this style of work allows for a flexible schedule that could allow you to fit in teaching around treating. That added to the fact that you can put into practice your aiki principles on a daily basis can make for a pretty good mix.

I would highly recommend massage or any other form of bodywork to those who love aikido, you'll be amazed with the similarities.

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