The dance of Nia infused with the art of Aikido...we love the way you move, John!
This blog comes to you with inspiration from a fellow ‘adventurer in wellness’. John Lucas has been attending my Nia class for many years now, and I have to say, he is a true inspiration to me. His passion for Aikido, blended with my love, interest and curiosity of this grounded, harmonious, non-aggressive martial art form, makes for many enlightening conversations before and after Nia class! I have had the pleasure of witnessing how Nia informs his Aikido practice…and I see how Aikido informs his Nia practice….a perfect, harmonious blend! Here’s what John has to say about his ‘dance’ of Aikido…
“Holistic Nia is great fun and I have enjoyed all of its 9 dimensions for the past six years. Slicing out the Aikido component of Nia recently occurred to me and is paying great dividends in my Aikido practice. Aikido is a core-based, internal martial art (non-aggressive, non-provoking) that guides attackers (we call them partners) back into harmony via redirection of their energy harmlessly away from the Aikidoist and the attacker. Aikido seeks to merge aggressive, low vibration energy into neutralization and stay spiritually above (high vibration) the fray at all times. As in dance and Nia in particular – Aikido movements are circular, elliptical, and cylindrical with an emphasis on using a lower, grounded center (core), and maintaining connection (in this case – with attacker) until the energy is spiraled away harmoniously. The attacker doesn’t fully understand what happened via the merged and blended energy action except that they are decidedly not in an attacking position or mode any longer.
I used Nia classes to train for my recent blackbelt test by focusing on a centered, whole, and fully Ki-infused body, interacting with surrounding energy and fellow dancers. Using Nia dance movements with minor modifications I practiced aiki-taiso’s (Aikido exercises) and was pleasantly surprised by how many aiki-taiso’s secretly reside in Nia waiting to be expressed. The parallel in the two arts is merging and blending (Aikido- with the partner, and Nia-with the music) and moving the body’s natural way which is inherently non-linear and joyfully high vibration. Through developed awareness, consciousness and clear intent – efficient, elegant dance and martial arts are achieved – and we can experience more of our humanity in harmony with our surroundings. We call our Aikido training “Aikido for Life” and use its advantages 24 hours a day. I thank Jule Aguirre’s blackbelt-grade-Nia for its “Nia For Life” capability as well!”
- John Lucas, MoveStudio Student, Dallas, Texas
to learn more about Aikido, check out John’s Aikido Instructor, Lynn Fabia’s website (and book) : http://www.lynnfabia.com/ and MoveStudio www.movestudio.comfor Lynn’s classes.
To:
Jule and her band of professional Nia Dancers, I am always impressed with your charity in allowing me on the same dance floor with you. You ladies do it all – with raw talent and refined feminism – and make it look easy! Thank you for the inspiration of your natural abilities and sharing spirits. I am a better person because of your unselfish expressions.
John
John, I am honored that you CHOOSE to step onto the dancefloor with me (and the ‘band of Nia Dancers’). Your presence is a gift of openness, yin/yang balance, insight, encouragement, grounded ki and the hope that there are many, many more men….somewhere out there who will one day follow your footsteps and join us ‘on the mat’ of Nia’s integrative wellness/fitness/health/beingness….
Wonderful! *