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[ericgolden]

Hello everyone. I am new to the website. I started aikido when I was 15 or 16. My first teacher was not affiliated w/ any federation- so technically my ranking would not be recognized. I practiced with under another member here named Dan Hover who founded savannah aikikai as well. I later began to crosstrain and practice judo, jujitsu(japanese version), and Brazilian jujitsu as well.

I am now 31 yrs old and I'm looking to get back into Aikido. I currently live in atlanta now and have visited several dojo's here.

[Voitokas]

Good for you! What's Atlanta like? My wife and I are considering an offer there...

[akiy]

Hi Shannon,

Welcome to AikiWeb and thank you for your introduction.

-- Jun

[ericgolden]

Good for you! What's Atlanta like? My wife and I are considering an offer there...

Atlanta is up and coming. The city is completing a lot of infrastructure projects(sewers,streets, etc). Those projects create traffic problems and commuting is a big thing here due to the lack of adequate subway transport systems.

However, living in atlanta is great and there is an abundance of things a couple can do. The real estate market varies depending on where you stay. Make sure to do your research and you'll be fine. Where are you from?

[Voitokas]

We live in Ohio now, but I've lived mostly in New England and Baltimore, and my wife is from Yokohama, in Japan. Yeah, I've heard that commuting can be a pain, but I figure that's the case with most big cities. If we do end up thinking about it (it would be in early summer), I'll make sure to find out as much as I can about where to go - maybe I could ask your advice then on where to look for a house or apartment?

Welcome again to the forum, and welcome back to aikido!

[ChrisHein]

Nice to have you aboard.

[phitruong]

besides the BBQ place in the boondock of South Carolina, we have better BBQ than Atlanta. :D Besides, there is a guy with long pony tail who wrote various columns on aikiweb who loitering around the Atlanta region. He is bad news, because he kept making advises that helped you to be a better person. Who would want that! as a side note, if you are a biker, north carolina has great motorcycle routes; but if you are not a biker, then we don't want you! ;)

[Nick P.]

Shannon: Welcome! I have met great aiki people down in Atlanta.
I really enjoyed Emory Aikikai, and though I do not know anyone there now, I believe they remain a good group.

Jeremy: While my wife and I lived there for 4~6 months in the Piedmont Park area, we never got used to hearing of all the shootings on the morning news, or listening to our work colleagues talk of owning several guns, never walking anywhere, living in gated communities, etc. When she got mugged at knife-point in our up-and-coming (read being gentrified) at 7:00 am on her walk to the metro (3 blocks, right next to a police station, took stitches to the chin), that was it for us. LOTS of Atlanta we miss, just not the ambient level of violence that seemed to be everywhere you looked.

Day we arrived the newly-elected sherrif was gunned-down on election night. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwin_Brown.

I miss Atlanta, and regret having to leave. I plan on returning for visits to see friends, but this time shields will be set to maximum....which was not a way I could see my life being led on a daily basis.

I hope it has improved.

[ericgolden]

Shannon: Welcome! I have met great aiki people down in Atlanta.
I really enjoyed Emory Aikikai, and though I do not know anyone there now, I believe they remain a good group.

Jeremy: While my wife and I lived there for 4~6 months in the Piedmont Park area, we never got used to hearing of all the shootings on the morning news, or listening to our work colleagues talk of owning several guns, never walking anywhere, living in gated communities, etc. When she got mugged at knife-point in our up-and-coming (read being gentrified) at 7:00 am on her walk to the metro (3 blocks, right next to a police station, took stitches to the chin), that was it for us. LOTS of Atlanta we miss, just not the ambient level of violence that seemed to be everywhere you looked.

Day we arrived the newly-elected sherrif was gunned-down on election night. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwin_Brown.

I miss Atlanta, and regret having to leave. I plan on returning for visits to see friends, but this time shields will be set to maximum....which was not a way I could see my life being led on a daily basis.

I hope it has improved.

Oh Wow! Sorry to hear that happened to your wife, I would be furious. Keep in mind every city has it share of crime. There are areas in Atlanta I would not consider living but others do even the regentrified areas. My wife and I live close to fairburn, Ga(South Fulton) area that's outside of Atlanta and there has been sporatic break-ins within the community. I never owned a gun before until my wife and brand new baby boy!!

Nick, I rarely watch the news b/c I get tired of hearing of someone being shot or killed or robbed. Even though city of atlanta is small but the metro area encompasses 5 to 6 counties, I guess you can't help but report on incidents. To say the least the metro atlanta has it's problems.I heard baltimore has a very high crime rate.