AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 16,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
I started Aikikai Aikido at the age of six back in Ukraine when my parents decided it would be nice to enroll me in something to keep me physically fit. I remember the tough first lessons of shikko, and forward ukemi, hitting my head on the mat and rolling on my neck. Our Aikido class was fairly large; the mat was one of the three in a building the size of about one football field. The children in my class were all mostly older than me, and I recall being picked on quite a bit.
The first seminar I ever attended was held in that dojo. I remember important looking tall guys with black skirts that showed us these moves that we all had to copy. Following that, I remember a much older student testing for his "kids shodan" and sensei saying that he wasn't ready yet. The next thing I know, I'm practicing at a completely different dojo, with a much younger sensei. This dojo was in a basketball court I believe. We moved dojos several times, once in a yoga-type room, and the other was in another small room in the basement. The class size was fairly small, and I had much more direct instruction from sensei. I remember practicing by candlelight when the power went out; it was a memorable moment. I guess I took Aikido quite lightly back then, and probably fooled around a lot. I think I got to about gokyu, out of a 10-kyu system that was implemented for children's Aikido.
At 10 years of age I moved to Canada, more specifically, Halifax. There we stayed for a year and I practiced Yo
...More
03-24-2009 01:52 AM 
