By PHILIP WINTERSTEIN, Staff Reporter.
Lifelong Wellness courses often deal with maintaining health, using unique methods and instruments. Aikido, and other martial arts, focus on maintaining these methods in everyday life.
Adjunct Professor Rolland Auman, Bay City, has taught Tae Kwon Doe at Delta College for 25 years. He said he began learning and training in Martial Arts 43 years ago.
“Martial Arts are my interests and hobbies as well,” Auman stated. “I’ve been doing this for years. The Aikido Academy at Delta College is something I started about 15 years ago.”
Auman explained Aikido is different from other forms of Martial Arts such as Tae Kwon Doe because it is non-competitive and focused on self-defense more than anything else.
“The competition is with yourself,” he said. “[Aikido] deals with your own abilities and your own fears, and we focus on those throughout the class.”
A variety of students join each semester ranging from all different ages, male or female, that say they enjoyed the course.
“One of the great things about our Aikido class is the near perfect attendance,” Auman said. “And I always joke with my students and tell them ‘We must be doing something right, because you guys keep coming back’.”
Auman continued to explain that not only can Aikido help defend oneself, but also learn more about oneself.
“Aikido is heavily involved in training to defend yourself, so we teach students to try to be more aware of their surroundings and know what resources they have around them and can use if an altercation occurs,” he said. “Prevention is what’s important.”
Aikido is a one-credit course and is available for all semesters including Spring/Summer. It is open to 20 students per semester.
Auman stated that Aikido is special in the Martial Arts teachings because of its deeper and philosophical focus among self-defense and self-awareness.
“At the beginning of class, we always do really simple techniques and motions,” he said, “and when they’re all laughing, I tell them ‘Now, you are learning Aikido’. When you are having a good time, that’s when you learn something about yourself. We start the classes that way, and we build on it.”
For more information on Martial Arts courses including Aikido or Tae Kwon Doe, contact Professor Rolland Auman at rjauman@delta.edu, or visit the Fitness Center in the P-Wing at Delta College.
