Aikido

Further Info

This story was made at the Theatre Orchard “Storyshed” workshop with young people from Priory Community School, Weston-super-Mare, and adults from Somerset Racial Equality Council’s Friendship group with funding from www.media-box.co.uk

The workshop was led by Liz Milner, Clodagh Miskelly and Paddy Uglow (CreativeMedia.org.uk), and was supported by Watershed.

A parallel Design/Technology project at Priory School to make ‘story gadgets’ for the Storyshed installation was led by Tarim from the Pervasive Media Studio – www.pmstudio.co.uk/collaborator/tarim

For further information on the Storyshed project please see www.theatreorchard.org.uk/

Transcript

I started aikido when I was about nine or ten and I have been doing it for four years. I am now a green belt.

Aikido is a defensive marshal art invented in Japan by a man called Morihei Ushiba. My teacher is call Phil Benge or sensai.

I like Akido because they can be calm and slow techniques and I’m quite good at. I do Akido on Saturdays to teach and on Fridays to learn.

When I do Akido I feel calm and passive because you’re not supposed to hurt your opponent but take any weapons and bring that person to the ground. The next belt I will earn is blue and with that a hakuma.

I have learnt how to count, say hello and goodbye, left and right, thank you and basic body parts in Japanese because of aikido as well. I came to do aikido when I went to a tester session at my old school, I thought it was interesting and fun so I carried on going.

Credits