Testimonials
"About a year and a half ago I started taking Aikido. I’m quite a busy person and at first I wondered how I was going to fit Aikido into my life. Since that time Aikido has given me so much insight, strength, confidence and pure enjoyment that it has become a matter of fitting my life around Aikido.
I feel like a different person. I see conflicts very differently. Before Aikido I felt the need to tense up and clash with people – to “take them on” in a conflict. I would feel myself getting tight and narrow and rigid and threatened. Or I would feel completely taken in by another person’s emotions that I’d lose track of myself and not feel able to effectively hold my own in an argument. Now, thanks entirely to my Aikido training, I find myself calm and focused and open during a conflict. Incredibly, the more intense the conflict, the calmer and deeper and more peacefully focused I feel. As a result I am able to see situations much more clearly and resolve problems much more quickly and effectively.
I’ve learned that there is no better way to re-train your mind, your emotions and your old knee-jerk reactions than by training a better response into your body. If you can do it physically, you can do it emotionally. This has opened up a whole different world for me and has given me so many more options. I feel much more equip(ped) to handle life.
Also at first I was concerned I wasn’t athletic enough – I wouldn’t be “good” at Aikido and that I’d embarrass myself. I think I can safely say that I have never found a more friendly and completely accepting atmosphere – and in such an atmosphere, even I have come a long way. Now I never worry about performing or embarrassing myself. I didn’t think that could be possible for me. It’s amazing how much more comfortable I feel in my own skin!
Another thing I have to say is Aikido is just so much fun! I go and get thrown around and it feels great and I just can’t seem to take myself so seriously. After class, I should feel dog-tired, but instead I feel surprisingly light and happy and optimistic.
Aikido has been my best find in years – it has become a way of life and now I would never be without it."
--Maren Mitchell
"Even for just plain, regular exercise, this fascinating education beats the monotony and boredom of stairmasters or jogging. This is the first regular exercise activity in my life that I look forward to every time, and miss when I can't attend. After a few months of 2 to 3 lessons a week, I discovered that I had lost a good deal of extra pounds; and I kept them off, without changing a thing about my habits. However, these lessons have offered me a lot more than just plain exercise, or even a painless and effective weight loss. The sensei's gentle, yet penetrating instruction goes quite beyond mere moves of mechanical routine: it helps one realize the harmony of movement, feel and control the flow of energy, and harmonize the inner workings of self with one's outward activity.
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Also, my daughter started attending the classes when she was 6, and has been at it for almost three years now. This is the one extracurricular she always looks forward to, above all others. She has lots of fun, running and playing with other kids; and used to be surprised that, when the test time came along, she had learned a great deal of the program and would only need little adjustments to pass the test. Now she does know that she's learning; she enjoys passing along what she has learned to those more junior (under the sensei's attentive, though unobtrusive supervision), and looks forward to taking every next test."
-- Victor Shulman
"The Aikido training our son has received has been a great benefit in the development of his fitness level, focus and self-discipline. Our son loves Aikido and is already talking about this being a lifelong pursuit."
-- Joe & Rita
"The Aikido training our son has received has been a great benefit in the development of his fitness level, focus and self-discipline. Our son loves Aikido and is already talking about this being a lifelong pursuit."
-- Joe & Rita
"I like Aikido because it gives me an opportunity to work with all different ages. It's fun and you can progress at your own pace. The benefits of Aikido are it helps clear my mind and focus. It helps relax me and keeps me fit. Aikido training helps me a lot in real life situations."
-- Connor ( 11 years old)
"Abundant Peace Aikido has given our son self-confidence and focus in his everyday life. He has often commented on how he appreciates the environment of respect and consideration. In 4 short months, the change is noticeable."
-- Cristina & Bart
“I have been a student of martial arts for most of my life, primarily focusing on the “hard, strength based styles” like Shotokan Karate or Tae Kwon Do, and have always had a fighting mind. Years ago, a brief exposure to Aikido left enough of an impression that I finally decided to try a class. Thirty minutes in to my first session at Abundant Peace, I was hooked! The skill and patience of our Sensei, Brad Schultz have opened my eyes to a different path, and with his guidance I am learning to transcend simple strength and technique, discovering instead true power and freedom. Aikido has become a way of life for me, and my experience at Abundant Peace has proven to be a life altering experience.”
-- Stuart Krause
"The Abundant Peace dojo, modestly located on the outskirts of St. Albert, is like a tiny gem that hides in the grass on the edge of town. And it seems to be discovered by special types of people—those who are generous, humble, playful, loyal, strong and wise. The Aikido practiced here is a beautiful martial art. With its every poetic gesture, it turns conflict, violence and battle into flow, connection and harmony. In time, studying here may lead one's mind and body to become one, one's actions to become as quick as thought itself, and one's senses to detect deep energies of nature. The people who practice here connect on many levels, too: physically, mentally, emotionally and intuitively. And they all are learning the subtle and special art of transforming energy. Stillness into motion. Motion into stillness. Aggression into peace."
-- Ian Christopher Goodman
"I started to practice Aikido in the 80s and it was clear to me that it was a discipline that encompassed both mind and body. When one of my fellow students asked our sensei about the spiritual applications of Aikido, the sensei replied that he should not worry about the spiritual aspects but rather just concentrate on practice involving the body.
Since that time, I have wanted to know more about the spiritual aspects of our art. This desire has lead me to experience different styles under different teachers and Abundant Peace Aikido and Tai Chi School is, in my opinion, the most balanced, and most suitable for me.
I find the teaching here encourages a soft style that lends itself to the integration of the mind and body, and, allows the students to find their true power, which, in my opinion lies in a greater knowledge of Ki.
Further, the emphasis on safety for all students means, to me, that each of us can achieve all that we desire."
I am happy to be here.
-- Bruce
"In my past I received a major injury to my left knee which left me unable to kneel or put any pressure on the joint. Three separate surgeries later there was no noticeable improvement in my knee and as a result I was unable to continue in my position as an HVAC mechanic. Around that time I was also diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Since my return to Abundant Peace my knee has improved to full working ability and I was able to return to my employment as a mechanic and recently, following a routine visit to my doctor, he informed that my blood pressure is back to normal again.
I am not participating in any other health or exercise programs and I fully attribute my health improvements to my attendances at Aikido. The initial warm up's, meditation, the time practicing on 'the mat' and the final misogi have all contributed to my improved well being.
Thank you for everything."
- Glyn
