Strength and spirit tested at Aikido Seminar Saturday

November 10, 2005

Whether in a dojo, on the street, at school or in a business meeting, practicing the traditional martial art Aikido can help maintain physical and mental health. An Aikido seminar held at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 will help martial arts students of all levels develop their skills both empty-handed and with traditional weapons.  The seminar is hosted by the UW-Whitewater Warhawk Martial Arts Club, the Aikido Association of America (AAA) and Lake Forest College.

“This seminar is for anyone who has an interest in improving coordination, perseverance, patience, endurance, how to center oneself during moments of stress and daily living, or just a great day of physical activity and fun,” Dean of Student Life Tisa Mason said.

Aikido students are known for their ability to stay calm in stressful situations because of their practice with maintaining positive outlooks through posture, breathing and focus. In addition to mentally dealing with conflicts well, Aikido students learn physical self-defense training including a variety of attacks. During the Saturday seminar, Instructors Stephen Toyoda, John Biezk, Bob Garza, Tim Spies and Lionel Romanzo from various dojos will conduct intensive, focused training.

“The best part of this seminar is the opportunity to train with outstanding instructors and people who have various levels of experience in martial arts,” UW-Whitewater Martial Arts Club President Mike Kennedy said.

The Aikido training seminar will be held in the UW-Whitewater Williams Center, room 202. There will be breaks throughout the seminar including lunch and a possible group dinner following the last training segment. The entire seminar cost is $20 and registration forms are available online at www.aaa-aikido.com. For more information, contact Mason at masont@uww.edu or (262) 472-1533.