Gregory Soon Aikido’s Mission & Purpose:

Coming Together in Movement in Order to Develop Wisdom

In Chinese philosophy, it is said that people can always learn from each other when they come together, even if they don’t know each other.

When One Person Leads and Teaches, the others learn. In turn, as the knowledge is shared and developed, the students become the teachers of the knowledge they acquired through their training.

The Life Lesson is that through our experiences and interactions with others, we all have learned from those around us, been students of those with more wisdom than we have, and have become teachers to those who came to us for guidance. Life teaches us that we all have something to teach and something to learn too.

My Goal as an Aikido instructor is to share my experience of the great art of Aikido training that I learned from my teachers — with those who come to share this experience with me.

Training is Life, Life is Training; This is the Only Purpose.

Gregory Soon Aikido Training:

Students will train in basic ukemi (falling techniques) in order to develop safe practice habits on and off the training mat. Ukemi develops the body’s sensitivity to movement, somatic and spacial awareness, and helps to develop a more fluid method of body motion and coordination.

Students will slowly be introduced to tai sabaki (whole body movement) and its relation to body/mind centering and awareness of space and timing. Tai sabaki develops your ability sense space and to freely move relative to an attackers actions. Atemi (strikes) and blocks will be part of tai sabaki training.

Progression in training will lead us to further development of ukemi, tai sabaki and developing our relationship with our training partners. Uke / Nage interaction is based on cooperation in Aikido, rather than on competition or challenging one another.

Exercises will focus on Nage leading the Uke’s movement while the Uke develops sensitivity to following Nage’s movement without resisting or being overly passive or falling before an actual technique is applied. This training helps develop awareness and sensitivity when working with various partners; which develops confidence in movement and action while easing anxiety of the unknown; this concept is called “Ma-ai” in Japanese.

Technical training focuses on practicing Aikido technique and how techniques are applied from various attacks. Unlike traditional training where the teacher demonstrates and the students are left to their own to figure out how to perform a technique; I offer step-by-step instruction and help students build each movement and technique from the ground up. Techniques are put together in sequence from the opening attack to the end of a technique/throw/pin.

As you progress in training, you will learn to put together training concepts and develop fluidity in your Aikido training.