Monday Motivation - Bristol North Aikido
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 Bristol North Aikido.
Time for a change - A new year for martial arts & Bristol North Aikido!
September is always a time of change in the martial arts world, even busier than the new years resolution surge that occurs every year after the Christmas break.
The heat of summer, holidays and longer nights sees many take a break from regular pursuits and many others decide that when the summer is over they will take up something new and interesting to fill their evenings.
Children start or change schools too, huge moments in life and natural anxiety about confidence, bullying and so on sees martial arts come to the agenda for many concerned parents.
Which martial art to choose can be a dilemma for parents. There are many to choose from and they all may offer many positives. Not everyone knows about Aikido, with its non-competitive nature making it an ideal starter art for students who can then either stay with the art for life as some do or progress to harder styles if this is their chosen path.
Regardless, its a time of change, new students come in, some move on to other things and a few graduate from our children’s classes either to join the adults class or leaving for University studies elsewhere in the world.
This week we say goodbye to Keiran who starts at Portsmouth University, last year it was Hermione who went to Cambridge and the year before we saw Roisin leave for Nottingham Uni.
Each one takes our best wishes and memories, skills & confidence from many years with us.
For Bristol North Aikido, this years change is even bigger. After what feels like months of uncertainty we have moved across the road from the Cameron Centre to St. James Church at the top of Romney Avenue. A small step for mankind….but a giant leap for an Aikido club with a structurally different Dojo to contend with. The new shape has presented some challenges but every problem has an answer and we are starting to bed in nicely.
There are aspects of the new building that are really beautiful. Pine ceilings and golden sunlight streaming through stained glass windows in the early evening make an excellent atmospheric Dojo which is really feeling like home.
Most of our students have moved across, many are older so have moved up a class so we are bedding in well but do have plenty of spaces for new students in our younger classes.
If you would like to start a martial art, come and check out Aikido for yourself or your children.
With students aged from 5 to 70 years old…anyone can practice Aikido and starting may prove to be the best decision you ever made!
