Looking for a truly non-violent martial art to teach your youngster confidence and discipline? Yoshinkan Aikido may be just what you've been looking for …

As a conscientious parent, I spent quite a bit of time examining the various local martial arts kids' programs. Remembering my own aborted martial arts experience as a youth, which mostly consisted of kicking and punching accompanied by loud screams, I was looking for something different for my son. I wanted something that would teach him the discipline and confidence of martial arts training, but without the emphasis on overt violence. I felt that my energetic 6 year old just wasn't old enough to appreciate the restraint required to not damage someone with a strong kick or punch. Furthermore, being something of a peacenik at heart, I really wanted him to learn the so-important life lesson that violence is really, at its heart, counterproductive. After a few fruitless months of searching (and 3 program visits later) I almost gave up. Then a friend of mine suggested aikido and, specifically, the Yoshinkan Aikido dojo of Robert Mustard Sensei.

Arriving for our first visit to the Burnaby dojo, my son and I were greeted by Mustard Sensei himself (he teaches all children's classes unless away teaching at another dojo). At the time, I hadn't realized that we were meeting with an internationally-renowned martial artist — one of the best aikidoka in the world. He was simply a nice, friendly fellow who explained the format of the children's classes, a little of his philosophy about teaching them, and that we should sit and watch the upcoming class and, if we wished, join in. My son, being keen to start his ‘samurai' training, jumped in immediately. I sat at the back of class and watched.

The class was impressive. Unlike many kids' martial arts classes, these children learned the same techniques that are taught in the adult classes. The same discipline is also taught, such as waiting patiently in ‘seiza' (Japanese sitting) and being polite to Sensei and each other during the class. The children practiced ‘kamae' (basic stance), pivots, controlled falls and other exercises designed to train timing and balance. Though the basic moves were practiced alone, for most of the class the students were partnered up to practice techniques that required cooperation, with the older students helping the younger ones and all of them being corrected by Sensei or his assistant.

It was lovely to watch. Mustard Sensei's control of the class was perfectly balanced between respect for him as the teacher (no messing around allowed) and rewarding the students with technique-focused games at the end of class. Hugs at the end of class were readily given to Sensei; the children clearly adored their teacher.

With regards the art itself, that was even more impressive. During the class Sensei would occasionally demonstrate a technique for the children. He would perform it with the senior adult student of the dojo, who comes to assist with the children's classes. The children sat in awed silence as the senior student ‘took Sensei's uke', which usually involved being flipped very efficiently onto the mat. Aikido training looks very elegant and gentle; some liken it to a dance. In studying aikido there is a big emphasis on learning to control one's body through good posture and balance. But at the same time it is a very powerful and effective means of controlling an attack. The thing that sets aikido apart from other martial arts is that it is mainly used defensively. Its techniques rely on an attack from an opponent, ie. no attack, no need to engage (however, at higher levels, it can be used effectively offensively too). Given the complex world our children are growing up in, I think that teaching children skills to replace and redirect violence is a wonderful lesson for them to be learning.

The other thing that impressed me is that there are no tournaments and no trophies in Yoshinkan aikido, and no coloured belts in Mustard Sensei's dojo (he follows the traditional belt system of the Tokyo headquarters dojo of using only white, brown and black belts). It's completely non-competitive. The children's motivation to do well comes entirely from the example of great teachers and from themselves. Or as Mustard Sensei told the children “I will teach you all I know about aikido so you can be the best you can be. But the one thing I can't make you do is try hard. No one can do that, because that can only come from you. This is true not just in aikido, but in everything in life. So work hard and study hard. Always do your best and I will be proud of you no matter what.”

And that's another lesson that I think our children could do well hearing.

Michelle Unrau (September 2006)

(Michelle herself now training regularly at the dojo)