We stepped into the dojo this week for Tryout Tuesday, leaving the rowing oars for the mat to get a taste of what aikido is all about down at Oakfield Sports Centre, with Aikido Mukyokan Jersey.
Founded in 1987 by kancho Róisín Pitman – who still holds the role of headmistress to this day and is now a sixth-dan black belt – the martial-arts club has shown incredible longevity to move with the times and keep providing its services, as classes began at the Police Headquarters gymnasium in Rouge Bouillon before moving to Fort Regent in 1990.
With the historic site’s closure forcing all clubs to find a new home, the school is now based at the redeveloped and expanded Oakfield Sports Centre, where they offer mixed classes for people of 14 years old and above in Dojo 1 every Tuesday and Thursday between 7.30pm and 9pm, as well as every Sunday at 9.15am–10.45am.
Pitman settled on the name “Mukyokan” as it succinctly describes her approach to personal protection and awareness after a career as a police officer and a door-security supervisor and trainer, which is her current role. Translating to “place with no boundaries/limits”, Mukyokan is all about welcoming anyone – with or without a disability – to learn aikido.
Through the years, Aikido Mukyokan Jersey has built up quite the roster, with five black belts currently in residence, boasting a collective experience of over 140 years. With each also able to act as instructors, this demonstrates the school’s ability to teach at a high standard.
What is aikido?
Translated as “the way of harmony of the spirit”, aikido was founded in Japan by Professor Morihei Ueshiba in the early 20th century. Originally developed as a combination of his martial studies, philosophy and religious beliefs, Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves, while also protecting the attackers from injury.
Based primarily on daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu, with elements of judo, jodo (the staff), kenjutsu (swordsmanship) and yagyu (spear), aikido is an art that uses circular and linear movements to generate power and technique by taking the energy of the attacker, redirecting it and using it to establish control by means of a series of locks and throws.
“Professor Ueshiba wanted an art that brought people together,” said Pitman. “He’d been in the army and fought in conflicts, so he wanted an art that united people, which is what became aikido.
“A lot of the techniques are adapted from jujitsu, modified so that you can take the person’s balance and use their energy against themselves. It’s similar to judo, but more at arm’s length.”
It’s fair to say the art has expanded considerably, as it’s now practised in around 140 countries across the globe, with 16 different styles bringing with them their own aspects.
After reaching her 46th year as a practioner this month, Pitman reflected on her beginnings in the art.“I was always a sporty one growing up, and I just had the urge to try out a martial art, so I went up to the Fort and asked for a karate club, and they pointed to the first one on the alphabet,” she said.
“After a few months, I realised I hadn’t even thrown a single punch, so I pulled the instructor aside and realised it was aikido. By that time, though, I was hooked, and this February marked my 46th year.
“I’ve been all over the world teaching and training – aikido has given a lot of good in my life. The sport is completely different to anything I used to do, and it’s kept me coming back all these years.”
Aikido and martial arts certainly have their benefits, aside from the obvious ones to physical health.
Pitman continued: “I’ve found aikido brings benefits to your mental health, as it is very good and spiritual.
It’s not like a religion, but it’s based on Japanese spiritual beliefs and brings with it a calmness I’ve carried into my professional life. It’s a real stress-relief for your daily life.
“If you have a stressful job, any martial art – but aikido in particular – is an art very similar to tai chi, where you can de-stress for an hour and a half, get yourself together and centred before returning to the grind of everyday work.
“Aikido is also very personable and social, as we all train together. You practise with a partner, which means you’re both relaxing and looking after each other while learning new skills, which can help in everyday life.”
As the Mukyokan name suggests, Pitman is a big advocate for making martial arts an inclusive space, ensuring everyone and anyone can step up and give it a go. “We should definitely be encouraging more disabled people to try martial arts,” she said. “Look at this facility – there’s a lift, so it’s all accessible. With martial arts and aikido, many people train well into their later years because they can work at their own pace, whether they’re disabled or able-bodied.
“For 16 years, we had a quadriplegic wheelchair user with cerebral palsy who got his black belt in Ty Nicholson. He worked from a static chair, and we adapted his techniques to suit that.
“Martial arts are adjustable, so if you have a disability, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do them – contact the clubs and have a chat, as they can make adjustments to cater to you.
“When we have disabled participants, they all join in with our able-bodied students because I want them to feel like part of the club. It also teaches the student humility, trust and patience more than they could ever be taught by me.”
As a highly experienced and respected individual in the community, Pitman shared why people should get into martial arts: “I would say to anyone to give martial arts a go, as they really do help with everyday life. Martial arts help with balance, movement and mental health, as well as defending yourself.
“It’s quite rare someone will go to a martial art and find it’s actually the one they want to do – look at how I started.
“People should try something different, and there’s something for everyone in martial arts – whether you want to be a competitor in arts such as karate, or do something like tai chi, which is all about personal growth – there will be one for you.”
Time to get on the mat
Now, it was time to see for myself what aikido was all about, as I stepped on to the mat not knowing what to expect. Of course, I had seen clips on social media, showing all the throws and techniques – surely someone couldn’t be moved like that with such little force?
Well, I was about to find out for myself. Following a quick warm-up, the first thing I was taught was how to fall correctly, which is absolutely essential, considering aikido is a throwing art.
As you’re constantly hitting the ground, tucking your chin in has to become second nature, so it’s really drilled into students.
We began with forward and backwards rolls, with the latter being much harder than they looked, before finishing off with a basic backwards break fall.
Following that quick intro, I was ready to get stuck in and learn some techniques. Under Róisín’s watchful eye, I worked with first-dan black belt sempai Cornelius Mawby, before having an unlikely reunion with my old mathematics teacher from De La Salle College, fifth-dan black-belt sensei Tim Silvester, to run through some basic techniques.
When they were demonstrated on me, I have to say it was unbelievable how much control they had with the manoeuvres, especially considering how light their movements were. The first one, nikyo, saw me block an attack to grab and control the wrist, before turning my palm downwards to force them to the floor
Naturally, I thought great strength was needed, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The lighter I was with the movements, the more effective the execution, and with the body mechanics being used, there’s not really much you can do beside go to the floor. There wasn’t any point in trying to resist – it just hurt more.
We then moved on to a more dynamic exercise, koto-gaeshi, in which I moved out of the centre line to evade an attack, controlling my opponent’s wrist to push their weight against them and put them down.
It took a few tries to get right, but Cornelius and Róisín were so helpful in giving tips wherever needed, allowing me to eventually pull off the movement – and it felt great.
Finally, Tim stepped in to run through a final technique for the session, irimi-nage, stepping outside to control his arm, pulling his head in and spinning him round before then manipulating his wrist to force him to the ground.
The club’s great experience in its ranks really helps to bolster the teaching process.
Everyone had different ways of explaining themselves, there was a variety of teaching styles on offer and each member had their own tips to share, which really helped me get the most from the session. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and warm, really making for an enjoyable time.
With their greeting and exiting traditions, I even learned a bit of Japanese along the way – to all of you at Aikido Mukyokan Jersey, domo arigato!
If you’re interested starting your aikido journey, then please feel free to contact Róisín Pitman by emailing her at roisin.pitman@hotmail.co.uk or giving her a call on 07797 713370.
