We’re glad you’re planning to join us for a practice. Please read through this so you know what to expect. For an overview of our day-to-day training activities, see: Activities.
Please contact us prior to showing up for your first practice.
- We want to make sure we’re prepared when a new student is expected.
- Also, in rare cases, the dojo may be closed for reasons outside our control. If you don’t reach out before showing up, it’s possible that you’ll come on a day when the dojo is not open.
Fees
If you are a newcomer to Aikido, your first two sessions are free. After that, if you are enjoying yourself and want to continue training with us, please either join as a member or pay drop-in fees per session. See: Fees
Location
We hold practices in the activities room at Shepherd of the Hills church. See Location.
What should you wear?
Many people ask what should they wear on their first day attending practices. The simple answer is to wear comfortable workout clothes that have long sleeves and legs. Since we do rolling exercises, please ensure that your shirt won’t ride up when you are upside down! We practice bare footed on our mats.
- If you have previous martial arts experience, you are welcome to wear your old uniform, with a few conditions. Uniforms should be white without significant logos or other adornments. Please wear a white belt.
- If you are a yundansha in Aikido from another school or organization, please wear your existing Aikido uniform, and let us know your rank so we can plan accordingly.
What should you expect?
- Please arrive 10 minutes early to introduce yourself and fill out some paperwork.
- The entrance doors are unlocked approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled class start time.
- When you arrive, current members may be working to set up the mats in the practice room.
- You will be greeted by one of the club leaders, who will introduce themselves and welcome you to the dojo. They will be happy to answer any questions you have and will likely introduce you to the other club members when they are finished setting up the room.
- You will fill out a waiver and put your name down on a spreadsheet that tracks attendance / practice hours.
- If you need to, you can change into your outfit/uniform on-site using one of the bathroom or break areas.
- We are a traditional school, so we will guide you through basic etiquette, how we line up to start class, etc.
- The first 20-30 minutes of practice are focused on warm-up routines, stretching, and drills involving footwork, blocks, and other movements.
- You may be taken to a separate area of the mat with one of our assistant instructors to provide some initial tutoring on how to perform basic rolls.
- “Ukemi” is the art of receiving a technique, and is core to all Aikido practices. At the basic levels, this usually means gently lowering yourself to your knees and rolling forwards or backwards based on the direction of the Aikido technique being applied.
- If you are already adept at rolling and falling from other martial arts training, we will just do a simple check of your proficiency, and then have you join the main class in the ukemi warm-ups.
- Following warm-ups, students will sit to the side and Sensei (the instructor) will demonstrate some basic techniques. After demonstrating a few times, you will be directed to find a partner and practice the technique. This will repeat for a few different techniques for the first half of class.
- Keep in mind that practice is cooperative, not competitive. You are here to work with your partner to learn both the application of the Aikido technique that was shown, AND the appropriate ukemi (receiving of the technique).
- Do not attempt to thwart or resist the technique of the other student. You may provide some feedback to your partner if you are confused about what to do, or if you can’t “feel” their technique. Your partner may be able to adjust, or Sensei may come to your group to provide additional guidance.
- The final 30-45 minutes of class may involve more advanced techniques. You are welcome to continue working on the basics that you were shown in the earlier part of the practice, or you may be provided an alternative version of the technique that is more beginner-friendly.
- In some cases, the class may be practicing randori or juwaza, which is generally not appropriate for a first-time student. That’s okay. This is a good time to observe how students at different levels express their Aikido.
- At the end of class, we line up and bow out. We thank each other for the day’s practice. There may be some club announcements that are given at this time.
- After the class is closed, students help put the mats away before changing back into their street clothes.
- If this is your first day, instead of helping with closing the dojo, you may chat for a few minutes with Sensei and talk about next steps. We hope you enjoyed your first class and want to come back for more!