Meet Abel Villacorta of Boulder Ki Aikido

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abel Villacorta.

Abel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 1997, shortly after getting my first-degree black belt in Aikido, the local dojo in Boulder closed! After traveling to the nearest town for more than a year, often winding up in an hour of bumper to bumper traffic, I decided to look for a more convenient way to practice. The best way was to begin renting a local space and recruit students with whom to practice. That was 1999. After several moves, and many years subleasing, and growing the classes, we finally opened up our new studio at our very own location.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all. The attrition rate in traditional martial arts is about 95%, which means you have to go through about ten people to keep one long term student. So we’ve seen hundreds of people, of all ages, come and go. Keeping a small group over time. Our dojo has grown to a modest 70 students and continues to grow monthly. Because the business is run at night, and I have a family, I have had to maintain a day job to keep things going smoothly. The challenge has been managing time, life, work and family. Fortunately, the art has had a positive impact on the rest on my life and continues to keep me sharing the art with practitioners young and older.

Boulder Ki Aikido – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We focus on teaching Mind-Body Aikido and Ki Development—peace-focused, self-defense martial arts practices that help develop the human spirit through physical and meditative methods. We are most proud of the personal, heart-centered way that Boulder Ki Aikido teachers connect with all the students, to understand their needs and truly tailor the lessons for each person’s benefit.

Most martial arts teach to respond to attacks with aggression and retaliate through the use of muscular force. Ki Aikidoists, instead, use ki and respect the training partner’s energy. By flowing with the attack, safely turning the aggression into a calm submission or a roll, the practice results in a positive experience for both participants.

What sets us apart is that we teach embodied conflict resolution through a martial art practice. Truth is, you can’t physically fight your way out of a common conflict, be it with your boss, your wife or acquaintance. Mind Body Aikido does not see conflict as a win-lose situation but works to respond calmly, reach true understanding of the opponent’s perspective and to reconcile the differences between sides. Our goal is not to simply learn pure technique that can disarm an opponent effectively, but in addition, to use the somatic practice to positively inform our everyday interactions.

The most effective use of our martial art practice is for people to benefit from it in any conflict situation, be it physical, verbal, emotional or otherwise.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is being able to reach an individual, to allow them to discover and realize for themselves the power of ki, and for students to use the lessons in mind-body aikido to inform and enrich their lives off the mat.

Having a student come in from a tough day, bow in and join the practice, then watch their spirit light up from the inner relational work that transpires throughout the class, thus turning the heaviness of the day to lightness and positivity, is a true mark of success.

There is a tremendous amount of hatred, separation, segregation in today’s society. So when a student realizes and internalizes the lessons of Mind-Body Aikido, expressed through martial movements, into their daily lives, we feel we have truly made a difference in the world. That is sweet success.

Pricing:

• Four Weeks of unlimited classes for only $50 for New Students
• Six Weeks of unlimited classes for only $70 for New Students
• Monthly Ongoing rates start at $90 for a 1-time per week membership

Contact Info:

• Address: 3005 STERLING CIRCLE, SUITE 150, BOULDER, CO 80301
• Phone: 7202880233
• Email: avillacorta@boulderkiaikido.org
• Instagram: @boulderkiaikido
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoulderKiAikido
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoulderKiAikido
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/boulder-ki-aikido-boulder

Image Credit:
© Boulder Ki Aikido

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