View Single Post
Old 10-11-2010, 12:46 PM   #1
Chris Evans
Location: Berkeley, CA.
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 169
United_States
Offline
Question Which Aikido school in or near Berkeley?

Hi.

I have prejudices towards Aikido, but I want to start training with teachers that show the"bu" (martial) as much as the "do" (philosophy), as disillusion bounds when empty or weak words that can't or won't walk the path.

I've visited once these four local dojo, all're looking good, for my 1st impressions:
http://www.berkeleyaikikai.org/ (also offers Iaido 1/week, cool)
http://www.aikidoinstitute.org (Kim Peuser's been well recommended to me and I can see why)
http://www.aikiarts.com/ (2/week only)
http://bayareashodokan.org/default.aspx (2/week only).

My concerns is that my crude and extremely limited understanding of Aikido is that Aikido, with no weapons, discourages development of a "one hit, one 'kill'" karate mindset of hit-first to stop a felony-in-progress and how to deal with being taken down to ground fighting.

I'd like Aikido to complement and enhance my karate (and hapkido) practice.

Which Aikido school in or near Berkeley offers the most vigorous (and the least arrogant and delusional ) physical path to mental and spiritual training, please?

A nagging doubt for me is that two jiujitsu players have given up on their years of Aikido as not being useful under pressure. I feel I understand a little bit of karate and jiujitsu, but Akido seems to be a head scratching egnima.

Please pardon me, as I do not mean to appear rude (if I do so appear), just being genuinely curious.

p.s. Is Iaido as fun of a moving zen exercise as it looks?

Sei,

C
  Reply With Quote