Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art. In fact, aikido is more an art than most Martial Arts, in the sense that it is aimed solely at the study of movements, without any aspect of competition or actual combat. While in most Martial Arts the person you work with is an opponent, in aikido you work with a partner. Through studying the movements made in fighting - both with and without weapons, and sometimes with one partner using one weapon and the other using another or no weapon at all - the aikidoka learns a lot about how humans work, both physically and mentally.

When I was in high school, I practiced judo for a number of years. I reached 3rd kyu (green belt), but in my final year, I quit in order to have more time to study. Years later, a friend dragged me along to a try-out lesson for aikido, which we both liked a lot. I find I am learning a lot from the sessions - not only aikido itself, but also things about movement and posture, peace of mind, awareness of my surroundings, and life in general.

In July 2011, I reached 1st kyu (equivalent to brown belt) in aikido. Hopefully, a dan grade will eventually follow...