Aikido Energy & Power: Dance Qualities

Video Transcript

"Many students are attracted to aikido for its graceful and almost dancelike qualities. This quality is essential to the safe and effective practice of aikido. Aikido's techniques can be so devastating that if the two aikido practitioners do not harmonize their respective movements with this dancelike quality carefully, injury could very easily occur. Rarely, in a real self defense situation would an altercation look so graceful. The reason why aikido appears dancelike is because of the many hours spent learning how to fall properly, so as to prevent injury. Students quickly discover that the power of aikido lies not in muscular force, but in flexibility, timing, control, and modesty."