Inspiring Conversations with Mariana Melcon of Aikido of San Diego

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Melcon.

Hi Mariana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started training aikido when I was 16. I loved this martial art in which I didn’t need to punch or kick someone to defend myself. Very soon I started having the intuition that there was much more to aikido than what I could see with my bare eyes. For some unforeseen reasons I had to stop training for many years, yet I always knew I needed to go back.
Almost two decades later I resumed my training, after having moved countries three times, built a family and switched careers.
Beyond the self-defense component, aikido has helped me mature as a human being, be more at choice when under pressure (including interpersonal conflict), be more present in my relationships… In other words, it has enhanced my physical and mental wellbeing and equipped me with more tools when it comes to decision making.
My gratitude for aikido, and my relentless passion to include and support others drove me to lead the community of Aikido of San Diego, where we promote the development of people through aikido.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although I’ve been training and teaching aikido for a while, I’m fairly new to this leadership role. Of course there’s struggles, and it’s exactly what we practice in aikido: through acceptance, paying attention to the possibilities that can unfold. As I see it, while it may be challenging, that’s how we grow and innovate 🙂

We’ve been impressed with Aikido of San Diego, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Aikido of San Diego, we teach aikido to kids, teens and adults. Not only do we practice traditional technique, but we also work with centering and grounding, framing ourselves in different situations for a more empowered outcome… With the children we play games with these principles, we run activities for them to develop more awareness of their bodies, and we bring some team work to the class. For teens, we add some more physical challenges while keeping it accessible to everyone, and we make sure that they have their safe space in which they can learn, respect and be respected.
With that said, at the dojo we try to keep an inclusive environment, where everyone belongs and can thrive. This is true on and off the mat. We train and we have fun. We work and we celebrate. We help ourselves and we help others.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Not sure I would call it luck… In my life things happened that I wished for and others that I didn’t… When things happen that I can’t control and don’t like, the question is what I make out of them… In those upsets, I always tend to look at where the new opportunities arise. Overall, I’m a very driven and grateful person.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aikidosd.com
• Instagram: @aikidosandiego
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aikidosandiego
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AikiHome
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/aikido-of-san-diego-san-diego?osq=Aikido+of+San+Diego

Image Credits
Litsko Yoshida