I Am Interested In Aikido

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[JIM ANGE]

I am very interested in Aikido, but confused on where to begin. I am located in Detroit area and am a BrownBelt in Judo. I thirst for the spritual/beauty of Aikido. There appear to be many varitions of schools here. What organization/style would complimetn Judo and fulfill my spritual desire?
really want to begin my study. thanks for any help you can provide.

[thomson]

I am very interested in Aikido, but confused on where to begin. I am located in Detroit area and am a BrownBelt in Judo.

Welcome to your journey in aikido, I'm sure you will enjoy it. The first place I would start, would be the Dojo Search right here on AikiWeb. Then go check out a couple of the dojos close to your home, and see if they fit what your looking for.

What organization/style would complimetn Judo and fulfill my spritual desire?

Not sure, I'm fairly new to aikido myself. I have heard that aiki jujutsu is more judo-like than say aikikai aikido (what is practiced at hombu dojo). There are a number of people in these forums that can give you a better answer, however. As for the spiritual, I'm not sure if I believe that is dependant upon the style you practice, but more upon the individual.

I hope you find what you are looking for and BTW Welcome to the forums! :p

Mike

[MaylandL]

You may also wish to try www.aikidofaq.com . It is a very informative site.

[Greg Jennings]

Originally posted by JIM ANGE
What organization/style would complimetn Judo and fulfill my spritual desire?

This comes up periodically for discussion.

The bottom line is that it's the dojo/instructor, not the organization.

Your best recourse is to make a list of the dojo within commuting range and go visit them all.

The AikiWeb dojo finder is the best place to start. Do some other internet searching and check your yellow pages.

Train with them if you can, observe if you can't. Talk to the instructor and some of the senior students.

Based on your own personal criteria,
"down select" to a short list and repeat.

Pick a dojo/instructor/senior students that you can commit to for the long haul. Aikido is a long-term proposition; the learning curve is wicked.

Best Regards,