Women’s Self Defense Free Demo Training

Aikido is the martial art that creates harmony out of conflict. Aikido teaches people to accept negative energy or aggression, then to redirect the energy into a path that becomes harmless to either  the attacker and the defender. Physical and mental training are both  involved in order to learn alternative ways for conflict resolution.

During Aikido classes, students take turns being attacker and defender. We teach physical responses to grabs, punches, and kicks. Students should wear soft workout clothes without buttons, buckles, zippers, etc. Yoga clothes will be fine. We will practice barefoot on soft mats. Physical strength is not important for Aikido: if you can carry one bag of groceries up one flight of stairs, you are strong enough!

Furthermore, Aikido teaches the mental skills of confidence, preparation, and cooperation. Those mental skills are particularly useful for daily life, in work-life balance, and in personal maturity.

Everyone goes home safe and happy from Aikido classes!

Erickson Aikido Biography

Laurie Erickson began her Aikido training shortly after college, because her boyfriend was doing Aikido and it sounded interesting. After she earned her shodan (first black belt), s!he ditched the boyfriend and kept the Aikido! She has trained and taught Aikido in Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Illinois since 1979. She is now a rokkudan (6th degree black belt).  One of the best things about Aikido as a martial art is that age does not reduce one’s skills–the most senior Aikido practitioners are still superior.