The People of Aikido Kenkyukai: Won (David) Choi

“Aikido’s like a puzzle I’m trying to figure out. I find it fascinating. I forget about everything else on my mind for the duration of the class. Add the fact that it’s a great work out, by the end of class I feel pretty relaxed and refreshed, mentally and physically.”

• David Choi, 32
• Administrative assistant / Freelance Translator
• AKI Los Angeles

David has been training for about half a year now. He started Aikido with Suzuki Sensei at AKI Los Angeles.

He wanted to find something mentally and physically stimulating so he got on Google and found the AKI USA web site. On his first visit, David was very nervous, but soon felt at ease by Suzuki Sensei’s attention to each individual student.

“I was extremely nervous. I’m an introvert and I hadn’t been in a dojo in ages, so I had no idea what to expect in this new, unfamiliar environment. But in terms of the teaching atmosphere, it was calm and welcoming, and I noticed Suzuki sensei try to accommodate to each person’s specific needs, which I appreciated.”

Now, when asked why he continues his Aikido training, his response is, “I feel a desire to continue training because aikido’s like a puzzle I’m trying to figure out. It’s really different from other martial arts I’ve tried where you basically try to force your opponent into submission. A lot of aspects of aikido seem counter intuitive to me, and I find it fascinating. It’s hard for me to go to class as often as I’d like to, but when I do get on the mat, because of the focus and concentration it requires to try to understand the material in class, I forget about everything else on my mind for the duration of the class. Add the fact that it’s a great work out, by the end of class I feel pretty relaxed and refreshed, mentally and physically.”

When David isn’t training, he’s either working, relaxing at home or at his local bar, or playing with his cats.

Those who wish to train with David will find him at the Los Angeles dojo most Thursdays and Saturdays.