Aikijuku Dojo specializes in sharing Aikido. We do not have separate classes or regular signup periods for new beginners; instead we prefer our new members to mix in right away with our full community, and benefit from training with the full range of experience and skill of our other members. Don’t worry – you will feel very welcomed and fit right in. Our classes are structured so that everybody can train at their own level with personal attention from the instructors. However, we do have a special fundamentals classes offered each Monday and Wednesday.

How to Get Started

We understand it can feel difficult to take the first step to starting on a new path.  Please call or e-mail us using the information on the “contact” page, and Segal Sensei, our Chief Instructor, will contact you and discuss your questions and interests.  Alternately, you can visit Aikijuku Dojo during (or preferably up to 15 minutes before) any regularly scheduled Aikido class. You will be welcomed and invited to either watch or participate in training (please wear loose-fitting, comfortable workout clothes, or a Karate or Judo uniform).  If you want to get started, click here!

What To Expect on Your First Day
On your first day, you will be shown how to wear your uniform and tie your belt.  An instructor or senior student will show you some basics of how to protect yourself by falling safely and under control – an important life skill!  You will be introduced to some basic etiquette and exercises— we observe traditional Japanese etiquette in our Dojo.  You will not be expected to learn Japanese right away, and you will be able to follow along quite easily.  After warmup, the instructor will show a technique, and you will be paired with a partner who will help you explore and learn the technique together.  Instruction generally builds to more advanced principles throughout the class, and you will take turns performing and receiving techniques with a partner.

What You Can Expect to Achieve
What you will achieve will depend on what you invest into your training.  One of the beautiful aspects of Aikido is that you should leave every class with new insight or improvement.  No matter how you feel before training, most people feel more energetic following training. Over time, you will grow more and more confident and relaxed in difficult situations, more comfortable managing attackers, and more perceptive of human emotions and ego.  You will quickly appreciate how those insights apply in your daily life, your work and your relationships.  How quickly and how far down the path to mastery you travel, and what your particular path looks like, is up to you!  Mostly, what you can expect to achieve is the discovery and appreciation of your own path, and the manifestation of your own personal strengths.

Training With Injuries and Physical Limitations
“Aikido really interests me, but I’m just not physically in shape enough to be a martial artist.”  Aikido is not a combat sport, where you are pitted in physical contests against opponents. It is a life art, which means it is a practice and philosophy that can help in all aspects of life. The Aikido you discover will look different than anyone else’s and as an expression of your own body and life, it will provide a path that will provide results and challenges that fit your unique situation.  If you have the mindset and will to embrace Aikido, it will reward you regardless of your physical situation.