Celebrate International Women's Day

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day I am reminded how lucky I am to have had Aikido in my life for over forty years. As a practice that is not predicated on physical strength it is a wonderful martial art for women.

Some of the most powerful women it has been my privilege to train with, our own Yumi Nakamura Shihan being one, are neither big nor particularly strong physically. Their power, which energizes the whole dojo, comes from within, from that centre we all seek in our training.  We succeed best when the improvement in our own practice elevates the practice of those around us.

These lessons on the mats are equally valuable in our everyday lives. Alone in a crowd we may feel very small, but when we reach out and support each other’s efforts and share our gifts and challenges the possibilities are endless.”  – Hilary Dawson, Chief Instructor at the University of Victoria Aikikai.

Hilary Dawson, 6th Dan, is a long-time practitioner of Aikido.  Hilary started with Judo in university and switched to Aikido in 1977 in Halifax. After moving to Victoria, she continued her training under the guidance of Kawahara Shihan and was a direct student of Ishiyama Shihan for 7 years. She has taught childrens, beginners and womens programmes. Since 1987 she has been the chief instructor at the University of Victoria.