Brighton Aikido club are settling into their new home by looking for more members to join. The local community club is one of many clubs which hires the university's sports facilities.
Based at Falmer campus, the club has been training in their new facilities for six months and group leader Paul Bonett has great ambition for Aikido in Brighton.
Aikido is a form of Japanese martial art related to Judo and Karate which focuses on throws and joint-locks. The origins have a strong relationship with religion and control over body and mind. The martial art has been practiced in Britain since the end of the Second World War.
The Brighton club was set up by Bonett in 1998 with Brain Stacey and the former has been practicing the sport for 33 years.
Brighton’s club is host to high quality competitors with a previous all-Japanese champion as well as current regional champions.
Bonett said, “We have some quality Aikido trainers but we would love more from the University. The facilities here are great for us and we thought it might be good idea to train on the students doorsteps.”
Bonett spoke about his sport whilst running the training session said, “The sport requires calmness and being a bit instinctive. You have to work yourself hard but in a controlled manner. Some people will pick it up and others tend to always improve but you can never get it absolutely taped.”
Aikido has recently been in the news as a Cambridgeshire man fought off four attackers using the martial art. Bonett said he would always discourage the use of Aikido and suggested if anyone in his club was in a similar situation they should first try to run away or try to defuse the issue.
He added, “If you need to do it [use Aikido], do it fast and early. It is a defensive art and not in the nature of Aikido to be offensive. It is great for women as a form of protection and we have run sessions with our female students on how to protect themselves from a street attack.”
Current student Cassie Hedges who studies Podiatry at the Eastbourne campus had practiced Aikido before coming to University.
She said, “I’ve been going to the club for the last four months but I trained at home in Bromley. For me it is a new challenge and it is good to give it a go. I think some people are scared of martial arts but I would stay stick at it and you would enjoy it.”
The club train every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at Falmer campus and if you would like to find out more please contact Paul Bonett at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Brighton Aikido to host Japanese stars
Brighton Aikido club will host two female Aikido stars who will run sessions and teach the sport next month.
Fumika Yamasaki, a world champion, and Ayaka Nakashima, a Japanese champion are touring Britain to promote and teach the martial art. The Japanese duo will travel the length of the United Kingdom between the 2nd-9th March, ending their journey in Brighton.