Interview with Nora Weller (5th Dan Aikikai) from Switzerland

1. What does it feel like to be an Aikidoka who has taken a professional path in the world of Aikido, beginning to enjoy credibility and appreciation?

Thank you for the invitation to the interview Progetto Aiki. It is a great honour for me to participate in the interview. I wouldn’t say I’m an Aikido pro. In addition to Aikido, I have a normal job as a doctor. I primarily work in psychiatry, treating people with addiction disorders. However, I have a reduced workload there to have more time for Aikido. Later in the interview, you will get a little more insight into my “other life” off the mat.
As for your first question, it doesn’t feel any different. My approach to how I live Aikido on and off the mat has not changed in recent years. I always enjoy various Aikido techniques and movements, and this enjoyment will always accompany me.

2. Has beeing a woman hindered you in your aikidoistic path?

In the past few years, I have heard some similar questions on the topic. It is important for me to emphasize that I am primarily a person who enjoys Aikido. Everyone has a different energy and their own variation of the technique, depending on how the body and mind are shaped. Everyone learns at their own pace and with their own conditions. I do not like to be reduced to just a woman in the context of life and Aikido. People are so much more than just their “pure gender”. I am a versatile person who is constantly changing and evolving. My Aikido from 10 years ago is completely different from what it is today. I am interested in different topics than I was 10-15 years ago. I also do not know what I will find exciting about Aikido in 10 years. It offers a wealth of opportunities for development.
I would like to tell a little story from the beginning of my Aikido journey. My teacher is Christian Tissier Shihan, and I met him at a young age. At 11 years old, I saw him for the first time at a seminar and was able to learn a lot from him. He came and explained details to me in English, which of course I didn’t understand at the age of eleven. He remained patient and showed me the movements until I could replicate them. Since a young age, I have been fortunate to learn a lot from him. I don’t think Grandmasters like him differentiate based on gender. They look to see if a person is interested and then provide their input, trying to pass on motivation and enthusiasm. He opened the door for me into a unique Aikido world through the seminars and the high-ranking Aikidoka who have been coming to him for many decades. Some of them have now become 6th and 7th Dan and even Shihan themselves. At a certain level, Christian introduced me to other Shihans so that I could broaden my horizons and gain more insights. It was important to him that I go to Japan and broaden my perspective to be able to provide better instruction. So I was fortunate to be able to train at the Hombu Dojo and also at Yoko Okamoto’s dojo. Additionally, I have been attending Tsuruzo Miyamoto Shihan’s seminars for several years now and get to experience a completely different Aikido. When you look at this, I have the great privilege of being able to learn a lot of rich Aikido. I don’t believe that my gender played a role in my Aikido journey and my development.
However, during my teenage years, there were adults who did not respect me. At that time, I was approximately 1st Dan and had very little weight. Adults who were less technically trained always tried to give me advice and with their strength, but poorer technique, tried to show me the “right way”. This time shaped me. In my Aikido work, I have become significantly heavier and have significantly improved my techniques. The adults were amazed and sometimes avoided me because they knew they would be sweating a lot with me and sometimes could not keep up with my pace or intensity. In my twenties, I was mentally able to adapt much better and always looked at who was training me and with what attitude they approached me. The disrespectful behaviour from the teenage years has not been repeated since then. I do not know how other teenagers are or have been. I can imagine that girls and boys have similar experiences.

3. Have you, or do you think you will, faced more obstacles than a man to assert yourself and gain credibility?

As a teacher it is more difficult for women to establish themselves in Aikido. In Japan, it is even more difficult to find one’s place, I guess. Yoko Okamoto Shihan has succeeded in Japan and Micheline Tissier Shihan has succeeded in Europe. I think this generation has paved the way for the next generations. For example, Helene Doue has been a professional Aikido practitioner for many years and has seen Micheline Tissier every day. For this generation, it was already normal to see highly ranked women leading dojos and giving seminars. For me, Micheline and Helene were always on the mat and it was quite natural to see highly ranked women. It was and is the reality, and it is great to see how these women have received as much recognition as men who are similarly active in Aikido.

4. Is it difficult for a woman to be in charge of a Dojo?

No. I run our Aikido Dojo Aikido Zentrum Basel together with my partner Jan Sauermann. We are in the constellation where 2 people run a Dojo, which is not very common. Nevertheless, I do not see any difference. We do what we think and constantly look at ways in which we and the Dojo can improve. So far, I have not experienced any disadvantages as a woman. However, it is rather difficult to build a well-functioning Dojo. There are many things to consider. First and foremost, the quality of Aikido must be right. Once a certain level has been reached and one is supported by their teacher to open a school, a well-structured training plan must be developed. Students learn the most when the classes build on each other. And then there is the equally important part “off the tatami”. You need a training location, membership contracts, and an understanding of the secrets of social media to attract members. If you have a small group, you need to figure out how each training session can be exciting so that many students stay and interact with each other, forming friendships. There is a lot of work in a Dojo. I think it is the same challenge for every Dojo-Cho to make Aikido attractive and attract more people. If you would like to know more about the topic, I can link you to another interview of mine.

5. The problems you have had and must face for this role are in your opinion greater because you are a woman?

I think it is the same challenge for every Dojo-Cho to make Aikido attractive and attract more people.

6. What do you think can be done to bring more women to Aikido and once included, avoid its dispersion?
Hmm. I’m not sure if that’s the right question. Actually, we should be asking ourselves how we can inspire more people for Aikido regardless of gender. Personally, I really enjoy training with men. Not because they are men, but because I like people who have fun with Aikido. Gender is completely irrelevant to me. I am interested in the people and the Aikido they work on or share with me in movement. Some Aikidoka that I have known for a long time have become important friends to me, such as Christophe Depaus Sensei (Belgium) and Cecile Rayroles Sensei (France). I exchange a lot with them about life and of course also about Aikido. Beyond Aikido, deep appreciative friendships develop, which I would not want to miss. I personally think that we should reach out to more young people. For this, we need to use the channels of the “youth” such as various social media. It certainly helps to have young teachers or assistant teachers that the younger generations can identify with. Without these role models, it will be difficult to get the young people into the Dojo. It is also important to create a friendly, benevolent, and welcoming atmosphere for newcomers. Technically good and young Aikidoka should dare to open Dojos and take the next steps to advance Aikido. We will need women and men equally for this. Sometimes the young Aikidoka are too shy and do not dare.

7. Do you think there is substantial gender equality in the world Aikido or are there still prejudices and/or discrimination?

Phew, another delicate question. I think Aikido is fundamentally a martial art. Historically, martial arts tended to appeal more to men than women. There are also disciplines like dancing and yoga that attract significantly more women than men. Please forgive me if I simplify things with gender and leave non-binary individuals out. I find the gender question inappropriate in Aikido, which is why I will not focus on it as much. Generally, more men will tend to be interested in martial arts than women. Therefore, the pyramid will correspond to the percentage of high-ranking individuals. In our Dojo, we have about 40-45% women. However, this has only developed over time. In the beginning, it was 80% men. I think the girls who were already in the Dojo felt comfortable, and other women were warmly welcomed. This allowed us to slowly increase the ratio. Having a female teacher certainly helps. We do not differentiate between students in training. Those who are more present are the ones who are more promoted.

I have noticed that the IAF (International Aikido Federation) is addressing this question and has already interviewed several high-ranking women on this topic. Certainly, the visibility of talented women helps attract others. Yoko Okamoto Shihan and Micheline Tissier Shihan were the first women to teach a class during the International Aikido Congress in Japan, organized by the IAF, in 2012. Since then, they have been represented as teachers at every IAF Congress. More and more women like Janet Clift are gaining this privilege. At the World Games 2022, a highly ranked woman, Patricia Hendricks Shihan, represented Aikido on a global scale. Also, at the last World Combat Games in Saudi Arabia 2023, they made sure to have enough women with a high-level present.
For me, it is important that men and women are not pitted against each other. I would prefer to use the term Aikidoka. It is about the interaction between people in a martial art. We can learn from each other regardless of rank and gender. A respectful and benevolent interaction should shape the basis of all people and their interactions with others, regardless of the context. In my work as a doctor, I often talk to people who have fallen out of all social networks. They often have no place to sleep and not enough to eat. They have experienced many terrible things like physical and psychological violence. With drug use, they try to forget the bad experiences and numb themselves. They hope for a few beautiful moments in life. These people are in a very bad state and experience little respectful interpersonal interactions. I am very grateful to be able to experience this side of life and to be able to alleviate some suffering. Compared to them, it is a great privilege for us, Aikidoka, to practice Aikido and to be able to meet many people from different places and cultures. A respectful interaction should always have the highest priority in communication, whether verbal or nonverbal, on or off the mat.

“Real Budo is the protection of all being with a spirit of Reconciliation. That means allowing the completion of everyone`s mission.”

Morihei Ueshiba