Welcome to AikiWeb Aikido Information
AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information
AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

Sections
home
aikido articles
columns

Discussions
forums
aikiblogs

Databases
dojo search
seminars
image gallery
supplies
links directory

Reviews
book reviews
video reviews
dvd reviews
equip. reviews

News
submit
archive

Miscellaneous
newsletter
rss feeds
polls
about

Follow us on



Home > AikiWeb Aikido Forums
Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > General

Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history, humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced features available, you will need to register first. Registration is absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 06-23-2018, 11:52 AM   #1
Ali Raja
 
Ali Raja's Avatar
Location: Oslo
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 5
Norway
Offline
Aikido club which is located near or far?

If you had to choose between a Aikido club which is located just about 700 meters away (8 minutes walk) from your apartment or a Aikido Club which is located 54 minutes away from your apartment by bus. Which would you choose? and why?
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-23-2018, 07:47 PM   #2
PuppyDoggie
Location: Halifax
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 54
Canada
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

I would choose an Aikido club nearby (more like ~35 minutes walk away).
The other nearest Aikido club would be ~30 minutes away by bus (guesstimating ~3 hours to walk), which isn't feasible in my current circumstances anymore.

My choice mainly came down to one big reason:
The people who attend that nearby club.
Everyone practices safely and many are very friendly. If they weren't, then I would have left Aikido ages ago. I've made three good friends there since I started and I'm very happy that I ended up staying. I'm hoping they stay too!
I had (and still have) a relatively crazy busy lifestyle, so it's not practical for me to go too far away
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-23-2018, 10:48 PM   #3
jamesf
Dojo: Kitsap Aikido, Poulsbo, WA
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 65
United_States
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

The bus ride is only slightly longer than my drive to the dojo where I train, which also happens to be the closest one to me. So, in my mind your decision should come down to other factors:

1. Are the dojo members friendly, welcoming, and sincere? Do they want to train with you and vice versa?
2. If you have prior experience in Aikido, does it matter to you if your rank carries over? Does the affliation of either dojo matter to you?
3. Does the style of instruction mesh with your style of learning?
4. Does the style of aikido match what you are seeking? Physicality vs. spirituality, for example.
5. Do the two dojos seem friendly toward one another? If you are a member at one, would the other allow you to simply pay a mat fee to train for a day (like on a day where first is closed)?
6. If either of the dojos are "rough and tumble", does the instructor teach good ukemi to make it survivable? (Do those ranked at least 4th Kyu usually exhibit good ukemi?) Do they do well in adjusting their techniques to make it survivable for total beginners?
7. Is there a cost difference in membership between the two. Can you reasonably afford the higher cost one?

Anyway, these are just some of the questions I would consider in making the decision, the choice is yours to make.
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2018, 12:06 AM   #4
Ali Raja
 
Ali Raja's Avatar
Location: Oslo
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 5
Norway
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

Very interesting answers.
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2018, 07:47 AM   #5
lbb
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,202
United_States
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

I'm with James. I've never been closer to a dojo than a 30 minute commute (when absolutely everything was going right). I'd choose the dojo that is the better fit over one that's more convenient.
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-24-2018, 02:53 PM   #6
zak riley
Dojo: kuraikan
Location: durham
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 9
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

If there was a club near with a first dan instructor and a club 30 minutes away with a 6th dan instructor
I would go check out the nearest club with the 1st dan instructor if he was a good instructor and I enjoyed it I would train at the nearest club
All though it be good to get some training off high ranks occasionally on seminars
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 05:15 AM   #7
StephanS
 
StephanS's Avatar
Dojo: Enighet
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 20
Sweden
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

Go to the dojo where you like the training more!
(If you're hardcore, you can move to whereever the dojo is you like best.)

  Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 06:11 AM   #8
lbb
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,202
United_States
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

Quote:
Isaac Riley wrote: View Post
If there was a club near with a first dan instructor and a club 30 minutes away with a 6th dan instructor
I would go check out the nearest club with the 1st dan instructor if he was a good instructor and I enjoyed it I would train at the nearest club
All though it be good to get some training off high ranks occasionally on seminars
Do you really think 30 minutes is a long time to travel to get to a dojo?
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2018, 04:03 PM   #9
PuppyDoggie
Location: Halifax
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 54
Canada
Offline
Smile Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

If it's just 30 minutes away, I'd go to that one too in addition to the nearest one! I'm assuming their times do not overlap

After a while, I'd do what Stephan suggests:
Quote:
Stephan Schröder wrote: View Post
Go to the dojo where you like the training more!
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2018, 02:21 AM   #10
Ecosamurai
 
Ecosamurai's Avatar
Dojo: Takagashira Dojo
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 570
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

In my experience people new to aikido choose based on location of the dojo and the times of the lessons. After that in priority comes the feel of the dojo and the people in it.
If you already know a little bit about aikido or martial arts in general you might choose based on the instructor. In fact I'd say the more experience you have the more likely you are to choose based on the instructor alone.

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
-Martin Luther King Jr
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2018, 02:12 AM   #11
MRoh
Location: Düsseldorf
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 256
Germany
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

Quote:
Ali Raja wrote: View Post
If you had to choose between a Aikido club which is located just about 700 meters away (8 minutes walk) from your apartment or a Aikido Club which is located 54 minutes away from your apartment by bus. Which would you choose? and why?
Strange question, it depends on so many factors, that nobody can tell who hasn't visited those two fictive dojos...
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2018, 01:46 PM   #12
nikyu62
Dojo: Aikido Club of American Samoa
Location: American Samoa
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 179
American Samoa
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

To the OP: walk into each dojo, challenge the instructor, and train with the one who defeats you.....
  Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2018, 07:55 AM   #13
TomAiki
 
TomAiki's Avatar
Dojo: ACNJ
Location: NJ
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 19
United_States
Offline
Re: Aikido club which is located near or far?

Go to each dojo and feel them. Then decide which fells right to you and train.
  Reply With Quote

Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
What exactly is an independent dojo? David Yap General 64 11-14-2011 02:05 PM
I'm Leaving Aikido Daniel Ranger-Holt General 122 10-07-2010 08:01 PM
Steven Seagal Interview ad_adrian General 45 01-15-2010 03:34 PM
Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 14 Peter Goldsbury Columns 38 07-31-2009 11:19 PM
Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 12 Peter Goldsbury Columns 32 05-16-2009 06:05 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:26 AM.



vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
----------
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
----------
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
plainlaid-picaresque outchasing-protistan explicantia-altarage seaford-stellionate