Mai’s story
I started Aikido on March 5th, 1998 at Brixton Ki Aikido club under Sensei Ros Davies. I was completely overwhelmed and over-powered by the other students, who were green belts and above.
After three months, I abandoned my pursuit, feeling inadequate. At age 28, living alone and withdrawn from social connections, I discovered a poster at Brixton library advertising the club. Despite initial hesitation, I called and attended class.
The turning point came through observing Sensei Ros.
Two factors enabled my progress — the instructor’s generosity and precision, plus a safe learning environment where I never felt overwhelmed despite practising with advanced students.
