Robert Angotti, Chief Instructor, North Wind Aikikai
Concordia College has produced this video on a class that Dr. Michelle Lelwica and I have been teaching together of over 20 years. It is a nice summary of the experience these students have engaging in the classroom, and on the aikido training mat.
I am very grateful to Concordia College for providing me this avenue to introduce the practice of Aikido to young people. Aikido provides a unique portal to parts of our being that can otherwise lie dormant. Connecting to the present with martial awareness, bringing our whole physical self into dynamic movement, and expanding our consciousness to include the breath, actions and intentions of others is transformative. Any college would benefit from bringing Aikido to campus, but Concordia has demonstrated tremendous openness and courage by bridging the practice with academic engagement. My thanks to the Concordia College administration for their trust and courage, to the Religion Department for their endless support of this course, and to Dr. Michelle Lelwica (my wife) for all her years advocating on behalf of this class.
“Aikido is medicine for a sick world. There is evil and disorder in the world because people have forgotten that all things emanate from one source. Return to that source and leave behind all self-centered thoughts, petty desires, and anger. Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.
~Morihei Ueshiba (O’Sensei)
