We love to welcome new students to our club - whether they are experienced aikidoka or beginners. Please don't hesitate to come along and try out this great martial art. We will tailor our classes to suit your age and fitness level.

If there are enough beginners at the same time, we may also be able to run a specific beginners class for you. Otherwise, you are most welcome to come to our general class.

Ages

Our childrens classes are for children aged from approximately 7 years old, through to 14 - 15 years of age.

For adults - aikido is suitable for adults of all ages. We have some students still training in the 60s and 70s. The best way to find out whether aikido is suitable for you is to come along and train for a few weeks.

What to wear

Please wear clothes you can move in comfortably - such as track pants and a T-shirt or sweat shirt. You will be asked to remove all jewellery as this can be a hazard on the mat. Long hair should be tied back and fingernails and toenails should be clean and trimmed.

Once you arrive

Please arrive about 10 minutes before the start of the class, so that you can introduce yourself to Sensei. We will also ask you whether you have any medical issues we need to be aware of during training. The first three classes are free, with no obligation - so do please come along and try our friendly club.

Your first training session

Classes typically start with a light warm up, and your initial classes will be reasonably slow and gentle. You will be shown how to fall safely (ukemi), and you will be introduced to the basic stances, footwork and some basic techniques.

Outcome
With regular training, you will find that you:

  • Are calmer and more confident dealing with conflict
  • Feel fitter and more flexible
  • Have improved posture
  • Have better balance and coordination
  • Are able to react and recover on loss of balance
  • Have greater awareness of your surroundings

Time Frame

Your learning will be ongoing and Aikido can be a lifetime study. You can set your own level of commitment and determine your own rate of progress.