Harborview Medical Center Seattle

Practicing Aikido for Recreation and Re-Creation After SCI

Molly Hale (4th Dan) began training in Aikido in 1984. Becoming quadriplegic in 1995 with a medical prognosis of no voluntary movement below her shoulders for life, Molly uses her past and present training as life-giving therapy. Molly has opportunities to train and teach in venues that expose others to the adaptations and possibilities of training from a seated or static position

Jeramy Hale (4th Dan) is chief instructor of Aikido at Noon, a dojo and ongoing program offered by the City of Menlo Park in California. Training with his wife Molly, an aikidoist with quadriplegia, Jeramy brings a unique point of view to Aikido practice and to movement.

Location: Harborview Medical Center, Maleng Building, Room 111/112

Aikido is the art of peace, and within that context, one learns to meet their calm, emotional center and express responsive movement in a kind, life-affirming way. In Aikido, we do not train against each other. There are no competitions. We train to learn balance, balance-taking, harmony, compassion, awareness, proper breathing, community, and falling (if we are in a position to fall). Aikido is a partner practice and each partner is unique. We learn to engage each other in all our differences, and faster, stronger, bigger is not part of the equation. There are grabs, punches, and strikes delivered and we train to neutralize attacks without harm to self or other. This physical practice transfers into the emotional and spiritual body, creating a platform of ease in human interactions off the mat.