Monday Motivation - #ActiveLockleaze Project - Spotlight On
As part of our partnership project #ActiveLockleaze we like to feature regular posts for our Monday Motivation or Spotlight On section.
This is just one of the ways we promote physical activities and sports opportunities in Lockleaze. By sharing providers and participants' personal stories we aim to inspire and motivate and encourage all residents to lead more active lives.
This week we focus on Kimberley Drew, Local resident. North Bristol Aikido.
I currently participate in Aikido, a Japanese martial art. I started almost two years ago now, having wanted to get involved with some sort of martial art previously. I tried out a session initially and to start with it took me a while to get all of the positioning right. To start with, some of the rolls we ha to do looked quite difficult, and, not being a natural acrobat myself, I was not sure I would be able to do them. However, I think once you get into something and start to give it ago it starts to click into place.
I have enjoyed doing Aikido gradings a few times a year. This involves us doing the techniques we have learnt in a more structured setting and allows us to advance through different coloured belts.
Upon progressing to a new belt you feel a real sense of achievement. Occasionally, we also work with weapons, which helps you to see how some of the techniques came about and quite simply it is fun holding a sword.
I was surprised upon joining at the amount of girls doing Aikido- we often have a 50-50 split in our classes which is really nice to see. There is a wide variety of ages and a real friendly atmosphere-despite us throwing each other to the floor
Kim with senior student Hermione Brand.
Find out more and explore here;