Home  News Latest Aikido club demonstrate the art on film
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Aikido club demonstrate the art on film |
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
 Members of Aikido clubs in the north-east of England have been used as the cast for a samurai film which has received a prestigious award.
Director and producer Pascal Fintoni shot Land of the Kami in a house in Sunderland at a cost of £6,000. The film was given a three-star award at the International Film Festival organised by the Film and Video Institute.
He saw his potential stars during a demonstration by the Hagakure Aikido club in Houghton-le-Spring and the Tenshin Aikido club from Washington, the Sunderland Echo reported.
Club members perfected their performance with martial arts expert Paul Gray for four months before filming began.
Mr Fintoni told the newspaper: "Filming fight scene after fight scene was energy sapping but fun and well worth it.
"We feel really honoured to get an award for our first film."
Aikido is characterised by its fluid and dynamic movement. It is a modern non-competitive martial art for the development of mind, body and spirit.
The movements focus on using a person's own energy to gain control of them or throw them away from you.
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