Aikido class offers fun for beginners, experts alike

Emma Carmichael Guest Writer

When you think of martial arts, you may think of typical ninja movies: people dressed in black with covered faces, flying through the air while yelling battle cries and ripping out their opponents’ hearts. Aikido, a Japanese martial art form that has been in existence for over 80 years, does not quite fit that image.

In the Freeman Athletic Complex’s Multi- Purpose Room every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 8 p.m.-10:45 p.m., you can find a group of about ten students practicing Tomiki Aikido. The room is almost silent, save for the padding of bare feet on the mats and words of encouragement from the instructor.

For a person new to Aikido, it almost looks like the students are performing a dance. One student closes her eyes as her opponent twists her wrist behind her back. She feels out the hold and then makes a quick movement to release the bind. They are in continuous movement and contact, as graceful a struggle as you will ever see.

The instructor is Associate Professor of Economics Sean Makasi Flynn. He strides confidently around the room, giving individual instruction to his students and occasionally demonstrating a move. “Excellent. Just don’t break my wrist,” he tells one girl.

Flynn has been practicing Aikido since he was a sophomore at the University of Southern California. Fourteen years later he has earned the status of third-degree black belt, out of a possible ten degrees.

Flynn explained that Aikido was founded by a man named Morihei Ueshiba, who was a practicing pacifist under the Omoto religion.

Separately, Jigoro Kano founded Judo in the 1870s as a “sportified” version of the then-popular and more violent martial art form Jujutsu. “Kano recognized that the feudal fighting systems that were then in place were useless in the modern world because there was no need to kill,” explained Flynn. “He wanted to teach strong values to Japan’s young men.”

Flynn noted that Aikido is less about struggle and violence and more about subduing one’s opponent in an almost peaceful fashion.

“Ueshiba...believed that everything was a vibration,” said Flynn. “If you attack me, you’re not a bad person, it just means your vibration is out of harmony with the universe. Aikido was created as a way to harmonize our energies.”

Flynn stressed that his class is open to everyone in the community.
“Our class tonight had three advanced students. The rest were beginners,” said Flynn. “In a few weeks those beginners will be attending the advanced classes. This is a really accessible sport.”

One of those advanced students was Eric Snyder ’07, a second-degree black belt who is also president of Vassar’s Aikido Club.

Snyder began by practicing Judo, but said that he soon became more attracted to Aikido’s “focus on the internal propagation of energy. It’s specifically designed to use your opponent’s energy to subdue them, without any harm to your opponent or yourself. It’s got a great mix of competition and meditation.”

The Aikido Club holds fundraisers and demos on campus and also throughout the Poughkeepsie area. Snyder encourages students to “stop in and see what we’re about. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s a relaxed environment.”

Flynn echoed this sentiment. “What I love about these classes is that they’re really fun, relaxed and mellow,” said Flynn.

Snyder and Flynn encourage Vassar students to check out Aikido at their weekly lessons, and to watch the 2006 Tomiki Aikido National Championship which will be at Walker Field House from Oct. 14-Oct. 15.
For more information on Aikido, see vsa.vassar.edu/~aikido/schedule.htm.