Jutta Dowdy
Instructor, Griffith Aikido
Jutta Sensei has been interested in Japanese literature, customs and culture including the Zen spirit, since an early age, aikido became a progression from there. Her first introduction to a martial art was in Armidale in the early 1960's, when she attended a couple of Judo classes, but raising three small children, it went into oblivion. Only her Gi survived from the era, for many years lying dormant inside a cupboard. When her youngest daughter attended Gymnastic classes (something Jutta did in her youth as well) at the YMCA in Fortitude Valley, an aikido class was running there at the same time. It caught her and her husband’s interest and they joined up, training up to 9 hours per week.
Alas this came abruptly to an end when the instructor disappeared to Japan. The club dispersed and for Jutta aikido came to an abrupt end, until she rediscovered aikido at Griffith university around 1996/7. After a tragic incident within the family and lots of meetings with well-meaning people/therapists, she realized, if ever she wanted to get back onto her feet, she need something concrete. Something to rid the demons in her head.
Aikido offered this with the emphasis of the knowledge and experience of Ki extension and the combination of mental and physical attributes and she soon realized. She soon realized that this was for her! Not only did aikido help the mind become peaceful after a lot of turmoil, but also at the same time great friendships, of all ages, were formed.
As she advances in age, people often ask Jutta, why don’t you do yoga or tai-chi? She only has two words to say to that: 'Too slow!'. Jutta particularly enjoys the energy which extends onto the mat. She says
Although aikido is a gentle art, it still has the ability to exhaust the body which in turn energises the senses,
gives one confidence in a society which now-a-days is not always safe and hopefully keeps mind
and body co-ordinated for many years to come.
Aikido is an art which anyone could and should practise for self-confidence, well-being and the knowledge that one can spread the beauty of its movements into many other areas.
If all trainees of aikido yuishinkai spread ki energy throughout the universe to touch as many
human beings as possible, surely the world must become a better place.
