I started Aikido on 5th March 1998 at Brixton Ki Aikido club with Sensei Ros Davies.
As a young adult I was looking for something but did not know what. I tried Tai Chi, Capoeira, and Tomiki Aikido. Every time I went on the mat, I was completely overwhelmed and over-powered by the other students, who were green belts and above. They came at me full force – and sometimes with wooden sticks – and whatever moves the teacher showned at the start of the class I could not inhabit and make work for me.
So after about 3 months I decided I did not have what it takes to study Aikido.
At this point, I was 28 years old and living on my own. I went to work at a flower shop and came home. I did not see any friends or family and was withdrawing from life and people.
One day I went past a notice board in Brixton library and saw a poster for “Brixton Ki Aikido club”, thought “no”, and walked out. But when I got outside I turned right around, went back in, got the telephone number, and called it. I asked if I could come and watch, did not leave at the tea break, and stayed til the end of the class.
As I watched Sensei Ros I knew I wanted to learn from her and I wanted to do Aikido just like her. The two main aspects that made it possible for me to study was Sensei Ros herself – her generosity of teaching, her kindness and the immense precision of her Aikido – and that I felt safe because even though I was practicing with dan grades and struggling because it was all new to me, I never felt over-powered or beaten up.
I love the fact that the principles are all written and displayed in the dojo. No mystique, no secret. The principles of coordination of mind and body gave meaning to the movements being taught. These were tools that I could understand and inhabit. From the very first class I could feel the effect of thinking of my One Point, and that was very stabilising and powerful.
Most of all I just wanted to do Aikido like Sensei Ros.
For months I never went to the pub after the class, and I was just living to study Aikido. A picture paints a thousand words so lets at this point jump to my 1st Dan:
Need I say more? Then things turned around, and I started studying Aikido to live life. Sensei Ros taught me and saw me through my 3rd Dan.
My gratitude, respect and love for Sensei Ros continues and she will always be my Sensei.
In 2007 I moved to Cambridge, had two daughters, and in 2014 moved to Scotland and through all the moves and ebb and flow of life I was so lucky that there was always a Ki Aikido club 10-20 minutes down the road from my home for me and daughters to study Aikido at – because I am lucky enough that my partner is also my sensei – Sensei James Knight.
On one of my 5th dan group courses being taught by Sensei Margaret about a year ago I had a realisation that I’m not swimming in a rock pool anymore, I’m swimming in the sea.
Mai Vu
Lochaber Aikido Club