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Samurai Youth Program:
Aikido of Champlain Valley teaches the martial art of Aikido
and non-violent conflict resolution training to low- income children in
Burlington Vermont’s South End. This district has the greatest
concentration of section 8 housing in the city. We work with the King Street Youth
Center, a South End non-profit organization endowed with the
mission to “promote personal and social wellness through educational,
recreational and social programs.” We offer Aikido classes for youth at
risk children from 8-12 years of age and teenagers from 13-17 years.
Tax-exempt donations and grants will go to our Samurai Youth Program.
What is Aikido? Aikido of Champlain Valley
(ACV)
provides instruction for adults and children in the traditional
Japanese martial art of Aikido. Aikido means “the way of harmony with
the energy of nature.” Aikido’s circular, blending movements and
philosophy cultivate a non-violent and humanitarian ethos unique among
the martial arts. The physical movements of aikido teach students
creative responses to conflict. Instead of responding to an attack with
strikes, kicks, or anger, students learn how to evade the attack and
throw or pin their partner while remaining calm and centered. While
other forms of self-defense cultivate the concept of “reasonable force”
(the legal term that describes the right for a person to defend
themselves employing appropriate means given the particular attack and
context), Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido’s founder, believed that techniques
must be done in such a way as to protect the opponent: “To injure an
opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without
inflicting injury is true Aikido.”
The circular and blending movements of aikido become a physical
metaphor for harmonious interaction beyond the dojo
(aikido school), helping students creatively resolve conflict in the
home and schoolyard. Children learn how to confront bullies or
difficult situations without resorting to the irrational dictates of
fear, frustration and anger, allowing them to blend with a verbal
attack rather than responding with an angry retort or violence.
A physical modality for peacemaking is essential because even skilled
mediators often lose their ability to rationally and constructively
neutralize conflict under pressure. Aikido teaches young people how to
relax in stressful situations, blending with the attack rather than
fighting or withdrawing. This ability to physically relax and remain
centered under pressure allows the student to seek more sophisticated
and harmonious responses to conflict.
In addition to physical aikido techniques that promote a non-aggressive
form of self-defense, ACV also teaches conflict resolution through the
use of verbal and role-playing exercises in order to creatively and
peacefully resolve conflict. Aikido is a powerful method to teach the
art of peacemaking because learning does not occur in a pedantic and
scholarly manner; instead, students learn how to negotiate, communicate
and acquire confidence through physical engagement in a dynamic and
exciting martial art. The martial element of aikido creatively channels
adolescent energy and aggression, engaging young women and men who
might otherwise be unaware of the virtues and relevance of non-violent
behavior.
This program is supported by generous donations from the W. Clement &
Jessie V. Stone Foundation, the Robert and Margaret Thomas
Fund of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, anonymous donations, and
members of Aikido of Champlain Valley.
Please consider making a
tax- exempt donation to Aikido of Champlain
Valley in order to provide low- income children the opportunity to
study Aikido.
If you would like more information about the program,
please contact
us.
Aikido of Champlain Valley Mission Statement
- Teach traditional Aikido and promote an
understanding of
the history and philosophy of Aikido
- Foster a sense of civic responsibility
- Promote non-violent conflict resolution and its
relationship to Aikido philosophy and technique
-
Provide progressive work-study programs and
scholarships for students with financial limitations
- Develop an inclusive community around the practice
of
traditional Aikido as the means for physical and internal development
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Aikido
of Champlain Valley is a 501(c)(3) federal non-profit organization that
admits students of any race, color, age, gender, and sexual preference
to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities that are
available to all members. We do not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, age, gender, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in
our educational, hiring and admissions policies.
Aikido of Champlain Valley is a member of the United States Aikido
Federation
©2004-2008 Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine
St., Burlington Vermont For questions or comments about this web site,
please e-mail the webmaster
.
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