In Italy Aikido is quite inexpensive, and this increases its value even further.
Annual fee (10 month training, 3 hours/week + insurance): 360€
Dogi: 30€
Bokken: 10€
Medical certificate: 15€
Seminar: 10€ to 30€ for six hours
Kyu and Shodan Rank: same as seminar AFAIK + shodan fee (exams are done during "extended" seminars)
...and considering that my last video-card has a 480€ price fee, I think it is extremely well spent money even if you don't care to take shodan or kyus, simply for the fun of it (friendship + training + physical health + general improvement + new knowledge of many related things and more and more).
There are many people here, indeed, who train only for the fun... 5-10 years trainees with near-shodan skills who stopped at 5 kyu simply because they don't care about ranking.... they openly say their life is elsewhere; Aikido is fun, training, and friendship... nothing more to them.
I wonder if this happens in other dojos, too.
Bye!
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