 Does aikido mean more to you than just what you do on
the mat. Do you believe that aikido is a tool that can be
used in virtually all aspects of life to create a better
world?
If so, then you will be delighted to learn that you are not
alone and that there is a growing number of people who
believe the same as you and who are looking for a way to
make a difference.
A movement began in the USA called Aiki Extensions. It was
established in September, 1998 to support and enhance
communication among those who took their practice off the
mat and applied the principles in their daily life. Its
basic aims are as follows:
|
As yet, the movement in the UK is at a fledgling stage and we now
need to make things really happen. The last few years have been very
much about learning
lessons about how to create a dynamic that ensures that rather than
AE working on a hand to mouth basis, it is able to stand on its own
two feet and use the resources at its disposal to make a real
difference in the world. We are potentially on the cusp of creating
a movement can change the aikido world as we know it. As such your
support is desperately needed We do need the money to support the
important project work going on in hotspots around the world, but we
also need the moral support of the aikido community generally.
As a movement, AE dovetails into the work done by the BAB as it
offers the opportunity to build a network amongst UK aikdoka that
breaks down the barriers across associations and help cut through
the politics and ego that historically has been all to prevalent.
We also get the chance to explore how aikido can be made more
mainstream and by this I mean not only on the mat but beyond. AE has
people working hard to bring aikido into mainstream education, using
their aikido skills in business management and consultancy and, in
America particularly, using it as a powerful tool in therapy for the
abused and marginalised. |
The movement has grown over the years and the group is established
as the equivalent of a registered charity in the USA. Significant
names in the aikido world over there have given valuable support and
this has allowed the group to support some fantastic projects and to
grow internationally.
Here
is a chance for us all to work in harmony and to really make a
difference. The beauty is that through helping others you will help
yourself as you will be part of a growing network that work together
on and off the mat to further your understanding of aikido and how
it can enhance every aspect of your life. If that sounds a bit
far-fetched then here’s a reminder of what the founder Sensei
Morihei Ueshiba believed. He saw aikido as ‘’a way to reconcile the
world" and said: "I want to build bridges everywhere and connect all
peoples through harmony and love. This I believe to be the task of
aikido."
