AIKIDO is a martial art, founded in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba, or O' Sensei (Great Teacher), as he was reffered to by his students. It is less known and practiced than karate, king fu, and Taekwondo, but has spread accross the world. It's focus is on blending with the attack that is coming and being clear and present enough to re-direct it into a more harmonious action and a peaceful resolution. Aikido is applied by police officers and studied by diverse fields as a practical tool for social change and personal development.

     I may be incredibly biased here,... but I do sincerely believe that if more people knew that Aikido exists -- in most cities -- they would be, at least, curious to know more, and, at most, they would get their booties into the next free trail class at a dojo nearby! This Meetup is my way of supporting Aikido in Toronto. I teach and train at my job as a Mindfulness Martial Arts Instructor at a mental health clinic. We use aikido to teach mind-body coordination, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills, as well as, to improve attachment bonds between parents and their sons.

     I also have the pleasure and honour to train and teach at NAKA IMA (www.nakaima.ca) dojo. Naka Ima means "in the now" and I love the focus we have there about being present with one another. Our slogan is "connecting through movement" and as someone who loves connecting and studying the science and art to connecting, I believe that we do that very well. Our students report a lot of satisfaction from practice. If you ever visit us, you will see a lot of smiling faces and joy as we throw one another and tumble and roll ourselves while practicing this challenging art. The sense of respect, support for one another, and community is also palpable and evident by how we clean and celebrate together and also help each other to learn after class is over. 

A Warm Welcome!

David Jan Jurasek, RDT, CCC