3 Benefits of Learning Aikido

Learning Aikido is greatly beneficial to everyone who is fit to undergo the training. Although Aikido for beginners may not be a walk in the park, those who have mastered all agree that the challenge is worth it.

With regards to understanding Aikido and the benefits it can give to an individual, it’s important to know the nature of it, including its history. One should also instil in the mind that it’s more than just a form of self-defence; rather, it’s also a Budo form — meaning, a class of martial arts. From the word Aikido, the last two letters “do” means a way of life and the universe. So what are the benefits of Aikido?

Table of Contents

Physical Benefits

Of course, learning Aikido comes with amazing physical benefits. Mainly, it improves your relaxation, flexibility and physical fitness. While the human body exerts power in a contractive and expansive way, Aikido focuses more on the latter. This form of martial arts enables the body to learn how to move in a coordinated manner accompanied with equal amounts of relaxation.

The huge benefit that this training can give is that one who masters it can overpower even someone who is physically stronger and bigger. This is because it enables the body to move as a whole. Suffice to say, Aikido promotes body development uniquely. This is an opportunity where even a small person can release a huge amount of energy for self-defence.

Psychological Benefits

When undergoing Aikido training, you’ll learn how to see the mind and body as one, not separately. Therefore, if you’ll be able to attain physical relaxation, the mental form of relaxation will be attained as well. Mentally, you’ll improve your confidence and your perseverance.

Through Aikido, the person gets to see life in a positive and proactive manner. The level of fear and anxiety are significantly decreased and defence reactions to conflict as well as pressure are broken down. Nowadays, people actually learn Aikido for the sole purpose of improving the quality of life.

Self-Defence

Did you know that in Japan, elite police forces such as the Secret Police and the Tokyo Metropolitan Riot Police require all their police officers to undergo Aikido training? That’s because this form of martial arts helps develop flexibility.

Compared to other martial arts training, learning Aikido comes in a wide range of severity. One can master the most gentle techniques or those countermeasures with the most severe results to the opponent. That’s the reason why it’s the best choice when you want to practice the best form of self-defence methods. Aikido is ideally suitable for defensive methods such as:

Law enforcement
Medical or mental health scenarios like defending yourself against a “crazy” patient
Civilian self-defence
Self-defence for women, and…
Self-defence for children.

It is highly recommended to undergo Aikido training to learn how to deal with extreme challenges and see anything as something positive. Through Aikido, we get to strengthen our values and mission in life and that’s the reason why more and more individuals master it today.