Help, I live 100+ miles away from nearest Aikido dojo!

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[bennysan]

Hello everyone. I'm in a bit of a dilemma, so I would appreciate any advice you all may have. I'm interested in beginning my training in Aikido, BUT the nearest dojo is over 100 miles away from my hometown. I live in the desert area of south-eastern California ( near Arizona/Mexico border) and the closest dojos are in San Diego which is 110+ miles west of me! I could maybe train 2-3 times a month given the travel time, but I'm not sure if that would be enough practice for me to advance in the art? I would have to find a dojo that trains on Saturdays because I work a regular M-F type job and it takes me almost two hours to drive to San Diego. What do you all think? Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Erick Mead]

Hello everyone. I'm in a bit of a dilemma, so I would appreciate any advice you all may have. I'm interested in beginning my training in Aikido, BUT the nearest dojo is over 100 miles away from my hometown. I live in the desert area of south-eastern California ( near Arizona/Mexico border) and the closest dojos are in San Diego which is 110+ miles west of me! ... Any suggestions? Thanks.Go see Bernice Tom, Sunset Cliffs Aikido in Ocean Beach in Sandog. Great teacher!. Iwama -- she was uchideshi to Morihiro Saito.

They have Saturday classes :

http://www.sunsetcliffsaikido.com/pages/classes1.htm

http://www.sunsetcliffsaikido.com/

[bennysan]

Hey folks, I'm in need of advice concerning beginning my Aikido training. I live in the desert area of south-eastern California ( near Arizona/Mexico border), and the nearest Aikido dojos are in San Diego which is 100+ miles away from me! Given the distance, travel time, and the cost of gas in CA ($4.00 gal.), I would only be able to train 2 times a month on Saturdays. I'm not sure if this is enough practice for me to learn the art? Any suggestions? Do you think this is enough training for me to get a grip on things? Thanks.

[Bronson]

Have you gone to the Dojo Search (http://www.aikiweb.com/search/)on this site?

When I put in Imperial, CA it comes up with one about 50 miles from you. It's still a ways but better than 100 miles.

If you want it bad enough you'll do what it takes.

Bronson

[Aristeia]

If Aikido isn't close - what else is?

[dalen7]

I'm not sure if this is enough practice for me to learn the art? Any suggestions? Do you think this is enough training for me to get a grip on things? Thanks.

If you have some training and mix it with something like the Aikido 3D program, that can help. (Again, a program like Aikido 3D should only be used as a supplement to guide you as you take lessons.)

It seems like there is a place closer to you though...so maybe that will work out for you.

As far as progressing...We have class twice a week, and I can honestly tell you that it has felt like we are missing at least one class in the week. (This is more so in the first 6 months it would seem.)

Doesnt mean not to try...it is/can be fun.

Peace

dAlen

[Walter Martindale]

...Given the distance, travel time, and the cost of gas in CA ($4.00 gal.), ...

Only $4.00/gallon?. Sorry, had to ask. It's just gone over NZ$2.00/L here, which works out to just over US$6.00 per US gallon (3.84L).

Fortunately we have two aikido dojos within 30 km (about 20 miles)

If you have no other dojo in your area (I note that someone found one 50 miles away), and nothing in another "do" that strikes your fancy nearby, you can attend on weekends, and practice basic movements and general physical fitness the other days of the week - including bokken and jo kata (if your dojo practices them). Jonathan Hay's blogs discuss the sorts of things he'd do when nobody would show up at his dojo - perhaps you could read that and get some ideas.

If you can access or purchase a small medicine ball and one of those big "swiss" balls you can do lots of work to strengthen your core musculature so that when you move anything, your upper body and lower body will be connected by a strong middle, and your movements will have more power.

A "heavy bag" suspended from about 8 feet can give you a workout, too - the standard punching and kicking stuff, but something Rocky (see VOE threads) does is start it swinging, and do irimi-tenkan, getting off line from the swinging bag and brushing/pushing the bag past with the forearm as it swings by, in a way similar to (not exactly like) how you'd move with tsuki-kotegaeshi(irimi-tenkan).

Hope this helps - something that you can do when you can't make it to Aikido..
W

[Flintstone]

... the cost of gas in CA ($4.00 gal.) ...
In my part of the world prices are of 1.21€/L, which will make it US$7.30/gallon. And you thought US$4.00/gallon was much... ;)

[dalen7]

In my part of the world prices are of 1.21€/L, which will make it US$7.30/gallon. And you thought US$4.00/gallon was much... ;)

The only problem stateside are distances.

Here in Europe cities are plentiful and close together.

Take where I used to live as an example...Atlanta.
Once you are outside of Atlanta it is a life time away until you reach another city its size. (About 9hrs to Orlando, if I remember correctly, and thats not the same size as Atlanta...you have to go further south to Miami.) :)

Distance in the states is the pain.

I lived inside of Atlanta, the perimeter for those who know Atlanta, and still the nearest grocer was about a mile down the road.

I can walk across the whole city here where I live now in half an hour. :)

Anyway...give and take.
It looked like someone found a dojo closer to where Benito lives - be interesting if this works for them. (For sure let us know.) :)

Peace

dAlen

[bennysan]

Thanks for all the suggestions folks, I really appreciate it. I found the dojo that is 55 miles away from me (Yuma, Az.) and I will be contacting them shortly. The dojo advertises itself as teaching
"Ki Aikido"? Can anyone tell me what exactly "Ki" aikido is, and how it differs from other mainline styles? Thanks.

[aikidoc]

If you are close to palm springs there is a dojo there: Ron West, sensei

[crbateman]

The dojo advertises itself as teaching "Ki Aikido"? Can anyone tell me what exactly "Ki" aikido is, and how it differs from other mainline styles? Thanks.Ki Aikido generally refers to the Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido taught by Koichi Tohei Sensei through his Ki no Kenkyukai (Ki Society) organization. You can find practically unlimited information about this organization with a little web research, but here is a little background:

Tohei Sensei is/was a longtime direct student of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba (O'Sensei). Tohei Sensei was at one time the Chief Instructor at Aikido Hombu Dojo (Headquarters) in Tokyo. His teaching focused on the core concepts of Ki (internal energy) in Aikido practice, as well as in other activities. His desire to promote and develop this "internal" focus to its zenith brought about his decision to form his own organization, apart from the Aikikai framework and doctrine. Aikido itself is but one of five distinct, but integrated, areas of training in the Ki Society syllabus. Other areas of training involve the development of Ki unto itself, health, breathing, and meditation. Dojos directly affiliated with the Ki Society generally offer training in all of these disciplines, but there are independent dojos where the instructor him/herself has formal Ki Society training and credentials, but choses to teach only the Aikido component, done from the Ki Society perspective.

There is much more to this, but that should give you the highlights. You should definitely explore all your training options (although it seems geography has conspired against you), ask a lot of questions, and make your training decisions based on what "feels" best to you.

[Michael Hackett]

Bennysan,

There is reportedly a new aikido dojo in Mexicali. I don't know where it is, but some telephone calls in Spanish might give you the information you need.

Kombat Arts in El Centro has recently combined with Viper BJJ on Main Street. The Viper instructor is a local cop who trained with Koga Sensei and incorporates a lot of aikido technique in their practice. He teaches classes on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 7 to 9. They also have a judo instructor there a few classes a week.

The drive to and from Yuma gets really old after a while - I used to work in Winterhaven and live in El Centro. The longest sixty miles in the world during the summer months.

Good luck.

[Boris Spassky]

What ever happened to this potential student?

I am in San Diego and worked in Law Enforcement in El Centro. Good people, great food, but not to much of a selection in hardly anything out there!

[Janet Rosen]

What ever happened to this potential student?
If you look at his profile he is not an active member of aikiweb and likely joined at that time just for his questions and never came back.

[sakumeikan]

Hello everyone. I'm in a bit of a dilemma, so I would appreciate any advice you all may have. I'm interested in beginning my training in Aikido, BUT the nearest dojo is over 100 miles away from my hometown. I live in the desert area of south-eastern California ( near Arizona/Mexico border) and the closest dojos are in San Diego which is 110+ miles west of me! I could maybe train 2-3 times a month given the travel time, but I'm not sure if that would be enough practice for me to advance in the art? I would have to find a dojo that trains on Saturdays because I work a regular M-F type job and it takes me almost two hours to drive to San Diego. What do you all think? Any suggestions? Thanks.
Hi Benito,
Try and go to a seminars as often as possible.Get a bit of an idea what you are doing then set up a dojo in your home town.Its a big step but It can be done.Also do a lot of research on basic waza. Best of luck , Joe.

[Janet Rosen]

HELLO the original poster has been GONE almost 2 yrs folks...

[Michael Hackett]

So have the jobs in El Centro.....

[Janet Rosen]

Lol!!!!!

[RED]

The only problem stateside are distances.

Here in Europe cities are plentiful and close together.

Take where I used to live as an example...Atlanta.
Once you are outside of Atlanta it is a life time away until you reach another city its size. (About 9hrs to Orlando, if I remember correctly, and thats not the same size as Atlanta...you have to go further south to Miami.) :)



Being from Jacksonville I resent you don't think we are a big city :p