To watch Miho Lloyd teach an aikido class is to see martial arts merge with the grace of ballet.

In one swift, fluid motion, she flips an attacker onto his back. The action, which she will repeat many times during this hour-long class, appears effortless.

Lloyd and Lisa Ernst, who both hold black belts in aikido, are the lead teachers for the new Helena Aikido studio, which opened in March. Lloyd brings with her 26 years of training in this martial art. Ernst, a local ceramic artist, has practiced aikido for 15 years.

The fact that the school's lead teachers are women and that it is run by a board make it unique in Montana.

Typically, said Lloyd, aikido schools are founded by a master teacher, but this one is run more democratically.

"We try to incorporate the best of both worlds," Lloyd explained.

"We are trying to maintain the integrity of the art and the way it's taught and run it in an equitable way," said Ernst.

Teachers and members, many of whom were affiliated with the former Last Chance Aikido, see this as a fresh beginning.

Tucked above All Wood Designs at 1310 Boulder Ave., it shares space with Mountain Spirit Aikido.

Aikido is a Japanese word meaning "way to harmony with the life force."

"Aikido has always been known as a gentle martial art," Lloyd said. It is only used defensively. The person being attacked learns how to turn the attacker's own energy back on himself.

"Anytime someone attacks," said Ernst. "They are open to attack themselves."

Rather than relying on strength, aikido teaches that a defender using proper timing, balance, speed, distance-gauging and other skills can dissipate an attacker's power.

The techniques are a vehicle to understand and express aikido's deeper principles, Lloyd said. The more profound philosophy it seeks to reveal includes balance; pursuit of a more noble personal character; and harmony of mind, spirit and energy.

By cultivating one's body, mind and spirit, the trainee learns to connect with universal principles of energy and life, she said.

Where these teachings are put into action and honed are in a martial arts studio, known as a "dojo," a Japanese word meaning "place of path."

This particular Thursday noon hour, a group of about a dozen students and longtime practitioners come together. Dressed in white jackets and pants -- "keko gi" -- they leave their shoes at the doorway before stepping over the threshold.

There is calm and mindfulness within the group that one doesn't see in other athletic settings, such as a gym.

The warmup exercises are as visually mesmerizing as the class, itself. From a standing position, Lloyd tucks her head, rolls forward onto the mat and springs to her feet in one fluid, acrobat-like move.

The movement, "ukemi," "is very important for safety reasons," Ernst explained later. "It's the safest way to take a fall. It dissipates the energy coming back to you. Falling safely is a fundamental movement you have to learn."

The group then pairs up -- with one as the attacker and the other, the defender. As a student attacks Lloyd from behind, she grabs the attacker's wrist and flips him to the mat. The movements are so swift and graceful, they almost seem choreographed.

The more forceful the attack, the faster the movements -- sometimes becoming just a blur.

What draws students to this art?

Bill Schenk said he had tried a different martial art previously, but dropped it because it was disappointing and superficial.

"But aikido I have found to be very rich," Schenk said. "I hesitate to use the word 'spiritual.' It is very mental as well as physical. There's just so much to explore. There's a fundamental philosophy difference between aikido and other martial arts. It's strictly defensive. It's inherent to the very art itself.

"I brought discipline to it, and it taught discipline to me. It's very much about balance and centering and being centered.

"Miho Lloyd is balanced, centered, within herself. She's never off her own feet. Her movements are beautiful. Her personal affect is beautiful as well.

"(Aikido) helps you learn how to manage aggression whether it's physical or energetic," Schenk says while watching Lloyd teach. "It makes you a more confident person who is less likely to be seen as a potential victim or easy target."

But, he added a caveat. "I don't want to give the impression I'm one step closer to enlightenment. The only way to learn this is to practice. Just like learning the violin, I can't tell you how to play the violin."

This martial art also prevents conflict, according to Helena Aikido member and treasurer Jerry Macaraeg.

He's found that over the years the study of aikido has aided him in potentially dangerous situations. He's learned to walk with purpose and from his center. Twice, he said, his heightened awareness helped him avoid attacks.

"It's an art that can only be learned through practice," he said, "and trying your best to do the physical techniques. One of the philosophies of aikido is to make the best of any situation."

It's also an art, that Lloyd and Ernst want to share with others. Classes are offered for those 18 and older of all skill levels.

Aikido makes you realize how vain physical aggression is, said Lloyd. "In the end, aikido is really self-mastery. It helps the individual develop their own personal authenticity." It's the pursuit of harmony and peace in the dojo and in life.

Helena Aikido

Helena Aikido, 1310 Boulder Ave. (same location as Mountain Spirit Aikido). Introductory classes, first week of every month

Beginning class

Tuesday: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

General class

Tuesday: 6:45 to 8:15 p.m

Saturday: 8 to 9:15 a.m.

For extra training

Thursday: Noon to 12:50 p.m.

More info

Call Lisa Ernst: 461-1186 or Miho Lloyd: 431-0884 or 449-3407 or follow the link in this story online at

helenair.com.

Reporter Marga Lincoln: marga.lincoln@helenair.

com 447-4083