Martial arts in a wheelchair

Everyone dreams of becoming a martial artist, even if he or she is in a wheelchair. “I am the first in the world to do Aikido in the wheelchair,” says Lydia laRiviere Zijdel, ambassador of Aikido at the SportAccord Combat Games in Beijing. “In 1982, while in hospital after a car accident, somebody gave me a book on martial arts. I read a story about the founder of Aikido. What amazed me was that it was not about martial power, but inner power. It was then that I decide to pursue Aikido. Finally I found a teacher.”

Zijdel is not alone. There are almost two million followers of Aikido. For her outstanding contribution to the development of the sport, she was crowned the ambassador of Aikido at the Games.

Aikido stands out among the 13 forms of SportAccord combat martial arts for its non-violence and non-athletic philosophy.

As a result, it is suited for people who may not be able to take part in regular forms of sport, enabling them to exercise their body. The SportAccord Games is organised by the SportAccord and is another major international sporting event after the Beijing Olympic Games. It features 13 disciplines of sport. — Xinhua