Benigno Jiménez del Val (Donostia, 1951) is part of the state elite of aikid practiceo:ya It’s seventh dan. During the talk he announces that he has just been promoted after holding a ceremony in Japan. He is as happy as he is serene. His voice, soft and youthful, conveys tranquility. There are very few with this range in the peninsula. “There are only two of us, a boy from Cádiz called José Antonio García and me,” says Jiménez.. It’s been many yearsmore than five decades, delving into this peculiar discipline that is the antithesis of aggressiveness and requires its participants to “change their mentality a little” to be able to get all the juice out of it.
“Normally, everyone who practices a martial art seeks effectiveness; the shorter and fiercer the movement, the better. In aikido it is not like that. There is no competition. A collaboration is carried out with your opponent: when they punch you, instead of stopping and hitting hard, we control the movement and make the lock without causing damage,” he explains. “Our goal is to end violenceintegrating their strength with ours. There is no such thing as ending a fight quickly. It is the first thing we explain when someone new comes to school,” he points out. The harmonious choreography of aikido has been compared to a delicate dance of contemporary dance. Jiménez is not convinced by the comparison. “No. You have to prevent them from hurting you. If they attack you with force, your obligation is to defend yourself as best as possible and you have to work on that.”
In 1968 they opened the door to a new world for Jiménez.. He was then 17 years old, he was a judoka. One of the great masters of aikido, Yasunari Kitaura, who died last year, appeared at the facilities of the Sakura club in Amara. For 10 days he introduced those young people from San Sebastián to the keys to a different martial art, perhaps more spiritual and elegant than others. Although he continued practicing judo, there was no turning back. Aikido had entered his life. “A funny thing happened,” she remembers. “After finishing the judo class, a few of us stayed to practice aikido and little by little it became established.” Currently, Jiménez is still an instructor at the Zuhaizti clubin the Gros neighborhood.
Everyone who practices a martial art seeks effectiveness: the shorter and fiercer the movement, the better.
“One good thing is that you can practice it at any age. “I have students over 60 years old, in their fifties…” she warns. His two sons, both in their thirties, have also been bitten by the aikido bug.. And they take it seriously. He is fourth danshe second. The parent affirms that he has not pressured them to follow in his footsteps and that they have made the decision freely.
Jiménez Fabrics
At 73 years old, he claims to be “retired” because he does not consider aikido to be a normal job. In San Sebastián many know the home and clothing stores Tejidos Jiménez, the family business of which he has also been a part while combining training with his students. One of the locations is in Amara, the other in Gros; the two neighborhoods in which Benigno has mainly lived. “In 2024 it will be 60 years since my father opened the store. They work very well, really. Perhaps because of the personal treatment and advice we offerthere are people who value these things,” he says. He still has to visit Japan. He has had it highlighted on his agenda for a long time. And it seems that now it is: the time has finally come to get to know a country that has a reputation for not being like any other. The seventh dan that he has just been awarded is the perfect excuse. “I will probably take advantage of the trip to take the title there and learn about the Aikikai Foundation“, explain it original aikido school located in Tokyo.
smooth path
Teacher. On November 25 and 26, Jiménez del Val was one of the two aikidokas invited to the tribute paid in Madrid to Yasunari Kitaura. It all started with him in the late 60s.
Summits. Beyond judo and aikido, the mountains have been another of his passions. “When there were no competitions I escaped to the Pyrenees or the Alps. I have climbed almost all 3,000 and several 4,000,” he says. Here he stays with the summit of Txindoki.
2024-01-23 16:05:00
#San #Sebastian #native #Tejidos #Jiménez #store #among #aikido #elite
