Frequently asked questions
 

We're working on some new informational materials for prospective dojo members, and I'm putting together a list of frequently asked questions. We haven't decided yet exactly how this will be used -- perhaps as a page on the website, perhaps as a takeaway that we can give to people who come to inquire about training (for themselves or for their children), perhaps as information to new students -- so I can see several different but overlapping sets of questions being appropriate, depending on the usage. I have some ideas of my own, but I thought I'd throw it out here. What are the frequently asked questions of prospective or new students -- the questions that they actually ask -- and what are the questions that they don't ask, but that you wish they would?

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

The first question on my mind when I stared was: I'm 44, am I too old for this? Then the second one was: How will this affect my back problem?
Just questions from an old decrepit folk.

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

It would be nice to see a small photograph of Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon next to this question.

regards,
Daniel

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

Questions prospective students often ask:
How often should I practice? Can I still make progress if I can only come X times per week?

What do the different color hakamas mean? (Yes, this is an FAQ at any dojo where hakamas are worn.)

How long to get to black belt?

Questions I wish beginners would ask, but they usually don't:
How should I attack? What should I be doing with X attack?

I don't understand how to respond to this technique. What should I do?

I can't move my partner. What am I doing wrong?

Katherine

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

Here is a link to the FAQ of my first dojo.

http://www.aikidodelamontagne.com/en/faq.html

I've always thought it was to the point and honest. Of course you have to adapt your FAQ to the methods, goals and clientele of your dojo.

Start by thinking about what the first questions friends ask you, or visitors dropping in on the dojo off the street ask you.

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

Yes.

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A lot of people want to know what "all the bowing is about" when they start our dojo.

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

Where's the toilet....

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Ha Ha. I'll do one better...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q37xJtuQ24w

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

- How fit/athletic should I be to start aikido?

- How hard/soft is aikido?

- Are there competitions?

- Belt colors?

- Beginners classes / training?

- Injury risk for beginners?

- Weapons work for beginners?

- Etiquette?

- When to buy gi, weapons (how much does it cost)?

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Re: Frequently asked questions
 

How soon will I or my kids be able to use Aikido to defend ourselves?

dps

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

I don't recall all of the questions I asked before I went to the dojo.

But some of them were.

1) what is the lineage of the dojo (Who taught the teachers)?

2) What curriculum is followed?

3) what are the fees for testing and organization affiliation?

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

These are great answers, everybody -- thanks for your efforts! Now I have an additional question: should these be refined into "Questions someone asks (or that we wish they would ask) when they're still thinking about starting training", "Questions someone asks (or that we wish they would ask) right before/during/after their first class", and "Question someone asks (or that we wish they would ask) in their first few weeks/months of training"? I'm sort of feeling like there's a breakdown between someone who's thinking about doing something, and someone who's made that first step onto the mat -- it seems to me that the experience of the first class raises questions that they wouldn't think to ask beforehand, and even if they did, the answers wouldn't make any sense. What do you think?

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

I think just FAQ is good..I always check that part of a site out.
Mary

Re: Frequently asked questions
 

Sure but FAQs are always like that. You pay attention to the ones that you're curious about and where the answers make sense to you, and you will vaguely remember some of the other questions enough to perhaps think of the FAQ page again when you're curious about something else later on.

So I wouldn't worry too much about it. You could always list the ones that people tend to ask first earlier in the list or something.