Aikido
Aikido is a relatively modern development that has its roots in ancient jujutsu. It is a Japanese martial art that is fundamentally defensive in nature. Aikido skills are at the core of all UK police arrest and restraint techniques, the objective being to respond with the minimum amount of force necessary to regain control of a situation. Students observe the same high standards.
Our Aikido courses are carefully designed to enable students to acquire the basics of the technique quickly through a set of exercises, games and structured free-practice.
Senior members of the club team have competed successfully in open adult competition at national and international level. We hold our own annual club competition every March, which is open to all students and visiting students from other countries. Top quality teachers are brought over from Japan every year and we travel regularly to Europe and Japan to compete and train with the best. A St Paul’s school team took part in the Aikido World Championships in 2009 — the first school to do this.
The Aikido Club has been in existence for more than 22 years, with many Old Paulines returning after graduation to continue their practice and encourage others. Rob Lawrance, our senior instructor, taught Metropolitan Police Cadets at Hendon Police Academy for four years, joining St Paul’s in 1995. Trained by Masters in both Japan & Europe, he is a third Dan black belt in Aikido and holds eight other Dan grades — black belts — in four related Japanese disciplines. He is a registered British Aikido Association and British Aikido Board recognised Club Coach.
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