Centering, Mind-Body Harmony, Self-Defense

Robert Nadeau, head instructor

"The secret of Aikido is to harmonize ourselves with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with creation itself."

Aikido is a Japanese martial way founded by Master Morihei Ueshiba (1883 - 1969). The techniques of Aikido depend not on physical strength, but on circular motions that blend with the energy of the attacker. Practitioners of Aikido gain not only the benefit of a powerful system of self-defense, but also a set of values and attitudes that seek to make conflict unnecessary. The founder, whom we refer to as "O Sensei" (Great Teacher), was a powerful man who mastered many traditional fighting arts before developing Aikido. He said "Aikido is not a technique to fight with or to defeat the enemy. It is a way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family"