Is Aikido right for me?

Michael Gulotta wrote: There is a dojo down the street from my house that I never knew about. Robert Boehm Sensei holds the rank of Sandan. In addition to Aikido, he has trained in a variety of martial arts and has over 20 years of experience. Boehm Sensei is a sergeant with the Providence, RI, Police Department, chief firearms and defensive tactics instructor, and bomb technician. He is also a member of the department's SWAT team. Boehm Sensei is a recognized police use of force expert. ...

Short answer, even if a little bit late:

Aikido is right for you, 'though I am not sure if you are ready for aikido.

The dojo near you might be a good combination of what you are looking for and what you need.

Just start and tell us later.

Dirk

thanks for the polls Jun... i amswered YES to all... i was quite surprised that the majority voted NO on the question Is everyone suitable for aikido, although the question was worded absolutely everyone... i still find it to be central to aikido that it is absolutey about 'absolutely everyone, especially those farthest from the path... the ones most in need of unity and harmony rather than excluding these people shouldn't we all have a kind of 'bottisatva' attitude of helping everyone... compassion for all and the sincere desire to help then realize and practice the principles of aikido... wouldn't this lead to more benefit for all?

This is teasing me lol. I'll have to go out tomorrow and visit some places, and have a talk with them.

As for the JKD, I checked with the instructor, and he said he trains outside of traditional methods.

Hows the exercise training for Aikido?

You don't lose anything by trying. Go for a "test drive" and see if you like it. Aikido is a good art to check out and if you plan to keep practicing into your "golden years," then I would suggest you really try it. Besides, there's always something new to learn, and most Aikido folks are willing to help you out. Don't be fooled by what anyone else may say about Aikido not being useful in a self defense situation, it works. The learning curve is different from other MA, but you'll learn basic things like "getting out of the way" or "taking uke's balance" quickly and will find they are useful.

By all means, go for it. I have heard of Gallo Sensei in law enforcement circles and he's highly respected. Don't pass up a golden opportunity.

Aikido is cool 'cause you can train at any pace. Pick up the pace, and increase your workout. Some aikido dojos do conditioning...most JKD schools do some form of conditioning.