Re: Children and adults together
Frankly, I'm shocked the parents are OK with that. As a mother myself, I would not want my children training with the random people at my dojo at that early of an age, for many of the reasons mentioned. The techniques in Aikido are potentially dangerous, especially on a child's structure, and a child does not have the assertiveness to either productively practice with an adult, nor to assert themselves to an adult regarding their needs (go slower, lighter, tapping out etc.) I would trust my senseis or some of the senior students to train/'play' with my children in Aikido because of their keen awareness of respecting peoples limits, but I can't imagine dropping my child into a regular open class. No. Way.
At our dojo we have Very Young Person's class, which is parent participation and it is mostly focused on tumbling, games, stretches, and Aikido-related exercises. And a young person's class, where the kids work with each other.. then there is a teen class, but teens can join open classes as well. To me that is pretty much the only safe/sane way to do it, or if in an open class out of necessity due to small enrollment the child is strictly partnered with select people who agree to work with the child, the parent, sensei, or some senior students who the child can get to know and feel "safe" with.
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