Q: What should I wear to my first class?

A: If you have a white or off-white Aikido or Judo Gi, you can bring it to change into or arrive changed. If not, we recommend clothes that are loose fitting and comfortable to move around in that covers your knees and elbows. We recommend you do a few classes first before you commit to purchasing a uniform (which the dojo has for sale as well) to see if you wish to stay with it.

Q: I am (x) years old, can I still do Aikido?

A: Yes! We have members that are anywhere from their teens all the way up to Hagihara-sensei who is in his 80’s and regularly is in class. Your practice will be tailored to your pace as safety is of utmost importance to us.

Q: How many times should I come a week?

A: Since Aikido has no competitions, rank promotion is based on time put in. The more times you come per week, the faster your progression will be. Many members feel they comfortably progress at two to three times a week. However, since the monthly fee entitles you to unlimited classes, you can come as often or as little as you’d like. Remember, this is your journey which means you should do whatever you feel most comfortable with.

Q: I have a medical condition, what do I need to know about my practice?

A: First thing you should do is speak with your primary care physician to make sure you are allowed to do physical activities that will involve rolling and controlled falling to the ground. Then you should let both the instructor and your training partner of the day know of your condition so they may make whatever adjustments that will be necessary for you to safely practice.

Q: Is Aikido good for self-defense/fighting?

A: As a dojo, we believe in order to be effective at anything, you must practice it—including fighting/self defense which should be in the form of sparring. This means that the normal format of classes which include no sparring/competition will not be effective at teaching you fighting skills—it will teach you how to improve your body mechanics, footwork, cool choreography, how to fall without hurting yourself, cultural tidbits, traditional Japanese weapons work, rolling, and be a good avenue for health and mental fitness, which are all self-defense adjacent. However, if you are interested in fighting/self defense, we suggest that you cross train in a live art (boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Judo), which will supplement your Aikido practice (which many of our members and instructors do.)

Q: I really like Aikido and wish to continue training, what should I do once this month is up?

A: After this initial month, we can keep your credit card on file to run every month until you ask us to stop. We will never lock you into a contract, and if you end up paying for a month you don’t use, we will credit you that month for use in the future.