AIKIDO CLUB BENEFITS FROM GRANT
10 July 2008
Can a new roof improve your spirituality? It can if you practice Aikido at the Rotorua Aikido Club, whose clubrooms got a new roof thanks to an $8,000 grant from NZCT.
Aikido is a robust, vigorous Japanese martial art. But what's unique about Aikido is that the focus is not on fighting - it's about humanity and spirituality.
Club president, Paul Haynes, explains there are no winners or losers in Aikido. "I've been practicing Aikido for around 19 years and what I love about it is that it's an art form. Our moves almost look like a dance - it's beautiful - and to the untrained eye, it's hard to tell we are doing serious blocks or self-defence moves."
Because of all the rolls and throwns involved in Aikido, club members practice on special foam mats with a canvas overlay. But, with the roof of the club's premises leaking, it was imperative to get it replaced before the special flooring was damaged.
NZCT Regional Advisory Committee chair Gary Cookson says NZCT is proud to be involved.
"NZCT is committed to helping sporting groups - in fact we're the largest funder of amateur sports in New Zealand - so we were pleased to be able to help the Rotorua Aikido Club," he says.
Mr Cookson says NZCT aims to return money it raises through gaming machines back to the local community in which it's raised, and thanks the NZCT venues in Rotorua for helping make this grant possible:
- Kasper's Bar - 1302 Tutanekai St
- Mac's Bar - 14 Kokako St
- Malfroy's Tavern - 172 Malfroy Rd
- Mo's Bar - 1142 Tutanekai St
- Valentine's - Cnr Fenton & Amohau Sts
- Westbrook Tavern - 318 Malfroy Rd
