There are no competitions or sparring in Aikido, as they serve only to inflate the ego and not people as a whole. The art consists of katas and techniques, which are often done improperly or can be ineffective if one does not understand the philosophical premise on which Aikido is founded. The founders desire was to create an art which, when practiced correctly, would help bring peace to mankind by turning aggressive situations into harmonious ones without the violence inherent in other arts. Literally translated Aikido reads ‘the way of harmony through ki (or life energy)’, and thus implies an ethical aspect not often found in other martial arts.

Aikido is non-confrontational and in its purest form an art of self-defense. Mentally however, we train to consistently be aware of all our surroundings and to not focus on anything, but to simply be in harmony with nature at all times, seeing an attack before it happens, this is the offense aspect to Aikido.  This concept is expressed as 'Mu-shin' or 'no mind', seeing everything but attaching to nothing.

It is not an easy art to learn and impossible to master without years of dedicated training. In order to handle the energy of an attack, one must be balanced and centered in the hara. From the moment one steps on the mat, the journey to find cultivate and cultivate the center begins. We start with simple stretches and exercises to learn where our center is, and how to move with it. Then we progress to training with partners to learn how to: i) avoid the attack by moving the body (tai sabaki), ii) blending with the attack and leading the attacker off-balance, and iii) redirecting and neutralizing the energy with a throw or a joint lock/pin.

In the beginning, the attacks and techniques are known and partners work together in a spirit of cooperation in order to feel the energy and blend with it, not to use strength and force. In this way we do not rely on size and strength. From there we progress to jiyu waza, or free technique, where the attack and technique are unknown. We then engage in randori practice, where we learn how to blend with multiple attackers.

Weapons training is also part of Aikido practice. We will use the bokken (wooden training sword), Jo (short staff), and the tanto (wooden knife). Basics strikes as well as one and two person katas are covered.

Monday

             7:00-9:00 PM

Tuesday

            6:45-800 AM

            7:30-9:00 PM (Intro)

Wednesday

             7:00-9:00 PM

Thursday

            6:45-800 AM

            7:00-9:00 PM

Friday

             7:00-9:00 PM

Saturday

             10:00-12:00 PM

Sunday

             7:00-9:00 AM

Monthly: $115

Quarterly: $300

Biannually: $540

Yearly: $900

Single Drop In Fee: $20

Family Discounts: $15 first family member, $10 additional family members.