Aikido: A good choice?

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[Andrea Demel]

Hi, I'm Andrea, 13, and I was just wondering if any of you could tell me if I would do well to choose aikido. I'm quite interested, because, well, I've been a gymnast for many years, but ended up not having time to go five days a week for four hours each day...anyway, I digress. What I mean is, I'm looking for something new with a lot of physical activity. I've heard a lot about aikido and the benefits of it and all that. I have plenty of time, so I'm not one of those people who goes to a school and wants instant gratification, but truly want to train in something. Based on this, can anyone tell me if aikido would be a good choice, and where I can find a listing of the dojos in my area (Plano, Texas), as I'd like to maybe visit a class to see how it is.

Thank you for your help,
Andrea

[Greg Jennings]

Hi Andrea,

Wow, you sound very mature for a 13 year old.

At any rate, you really won't know if aikido is for you till you give it a couple of months.

There are two dojo in the Plano area. Check them out at http://www.aikiweb.com/search .

I know Russel Alvey the instructor at North Texas Aikido. He's a good guy. His instructor, Pat Hendricks Sensei, is one of the top instructors in the country.

The other dojo might be wonderful too, I just don't know them. $80 per month for 3 classes per week seems steep to me, though.

I recommend observing classes or actually training at both classes then picking the one that works best for you.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me. I'd be happy to call either instructor and talk to them for you.

Regards,

[SeiserL]

IMHO, if you have some information (which you do) and you have some interest (which you do), there is only one way to find out if Aikido is a good choice for you, get on the mat and give it a try.

[Yann Golanski]

Andrea,

Do not be scared by which style of Aikido the dojo practice. Even under each style and association there are major differences in the way techniques are taught.

You could go to each dojo which is around you, watch a class and train a couple of time. Then chose the one where you had most fun. Don't get hand up on Shodokan, Aikikai, Yoshinkan, Ki soc or what not. Besides, by the time you reach 4th dan, it'll all be the same!

On a side note, make sure that you are careful about your joints. Since you are still growing, doing some techniques may damage your bones -- especially wrist locks. Make sure your instructor is qualified and legitimate -- ie knows what he is doing.

Good luck.

[paw]

Ultimately I'd agree with the recommendations you've received --- start visiting dojo and training for a few weeks and see how you feel, not just about aikido, but the particular dojo where you train. It's generally more than worth it to travel for a class you enjoy than settle for a so-so class that's convenient.

Since you mentioned gymnastics, you may want to look into capoeira, which has more acrobatic moves and is often quite dancelike. Not sure if there's any schools in your area, but here's an information link (http://www.brazil-martial-art.com/) that should give you an idea.

Regards,

Paul

[Abasan]

Aikido is budo... its not a physical activity you take up to replace something that commits 4 hrs a day of your time.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but if you want to do something, you should do it really well. And aikido is not a 1 hr a day at the dojo kinda activity. At least not if you really want to live aikido.

On the other hand, it doesn't mean you have to be so very serious in aikido as i guess you have plenty of time to do that later on in life. yeah, maybe you should have a look see and give it a go.

[itdoka]

My advice start and don't stop. Aikido will change your life, it is an amazing choice. Being 13, and just starting aikido, I envy you. The one thing I can say is not to become so into that you get burnt out. Again start and don't stop.

[Thalib]

Many people start Aikido for different reasons.

Well, I guess this is how you start.

Good luck...

[kironin]

Aikido is budo... its not a physical activity you take up to replace something that commits 4 hrs a day of your time.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but if you want to do something, you should do it really well. And aikido is not a 1 hr a day at the dojo kinda activity. At least not if you really want to live aikido.
If your wondering, ignore this sort of nonsense when you come across it. If a school puts out this attitude, walk away. Good aikido involves a balanced life.

To find aikido at 13, I envy you. Go visit some schools in the area. They should let you try a class. They should be very open to providing information on the training background of the instructors. From what I know of the Plano area, your best bets are probably an Iwama Ryu or Aikido of Dallas affiliated school or the Jiyushinkai affiliated club.

best of luck,

Craig

[sanosuke]

just like craig, i envy you too Andrea,wish i had found aikido earlier. anyway, just enjoy the process. after a while you'll know whether aikido is for you or not.

may the ki be with you....

[jk]

Like all the other folks have said, you won't know until you try a few classes. If you're going to do anything that isn't forced upon you, at least make sure there's some fun in it...otherwise there's not much point, is there? :)

[Abasan]

"Good aikido involves a balanced life."

That's good advice. As I said, don't take what I said harshly. My intentions are honorable but may not sound that way.

Just like "If your wondering, ignore this sort of nonsense when you come across it." may appear to be rude to me, but I understand where its coming from.

Good luck in your endeavour anyway.

[Greg Jennings]

From what I know of the Plano area, your best bets are probably an Iwama Ryu <snip>
Just a nit pick, but Iwama Ryu is an organization. Separate from the Aikikai, btw. To my knowledge, it doesn't exist in the US. The particular conditions that spawned it have never existed here.

I believe all of the dojo teaching the Iwama style of aikido are either CAA Division 1 http://www.ai-ki-do.org or TAA http://www.takemusu.org/ .

Regards,

[kironin]

Just a nit pick, but Iwama Ryu is an organization. Separate from the Aikikai, btw. To my knowledge, it doesn't exist in the US. The particular conditions that spawned it have never existed here.
I stand corrected. It's CAA and associated with Pat Hendricks. It's just in my mind I tend to group schools associated with certain US teachers in the Iwama camp. Being I have nothing to do with any Aikikai organizations, I tend to lose track of the many organizations and just associate schools with particular teachers.

There's also an aikido school in Plano proper, but it's not clear from the website which seems poorly made, whether they teach aikido or some potpourri of MA systems. The latter is all too common in Texas.

Craig

[JMCavazos]

Andrea,

If only I had begun aikido at 13 ... I was 36 when I began...

In Plano, try

Michael D. Park

Aikido Silver Bridge Dojo

3948 Legacy Drive

Plano, Texas

or

Lynn Fabia

Dallas Aikido Center (home dojo)

Located at The Gym in Lake Highlands

10025 Royal Lane

Dallas, TX 75243

(corner of Royal and Audelia)

I know them both, and they are both fine instructors.

Good Luck.

[Greg Jennings]

I stand corrected. It's CAA and associated with Pat Hendricks. It's just in my mind I tend to group schools associated with certain US teachers in the Iwama camp.
Yep. Alvey Sensei's dojo. See my original post to the thread.

Definitely the Iwama camp (me too through Goto Sensei), just not the Iwama Ryu. :)

Regards,

[Andrea Demel]

Thank you all very much...from what I've heard, Aikido sounds great and I plan to try it out. I guess I'll give it six months to decide whether it's for me...I think any less won't really give it a fair trial. Again, thanks for all the great advice,

Andrea

[Robert Bostick]

For what it's worth, I've been a student at Aikido of Dallas for nearly two years and have found it to be very beginner friendly.

R.Bostick