A Colorado Springs Aikido Dojo Adapting to COVID-19…

A Colorado Springs Aikido Dojo Adapting to COVID-19…

COVID-19 / Training Focus

Introduction

We’re a small Colorado Springs Aikido Dojo that is working to adapt to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Our dojo’s mission statement has never been more relevant. Aikido has always been more than just a martial art. It is about community and family. During these trying times, we each need to make sure we’re continuing to engage with the world around us. At Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs we’re working to continue teaching O-Sensei’s art. We’re also keeping our dojo family engaged and moving forward with their Aikido studies.

Our dojo’s mission is to foster the development of a vibrant, sustainable and robust Aikido community within both the Colorado Springs region and the greater state of Colorado.  The focus of our curriculum is on Traditional, or Iwama Style, Aikido.  We study and teach Aikido as a martial art.  We believe that the benefits of Aikido are derived through consistent and spirited practice.   We strive to make Aikido accessible to everyone, regardless of gender, age, previous experience, or physical capability. Our principal goal is to preserve the teachings of the founder, Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei, as passed down by Morihiro Saito Shihan. We practice Aikido as a means to reconcile conflict.

Mission Statement – Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs

We hope everyone is remaining healthy and safe during this unusual time in humanity’s history! Here in Colorado Springs most non-essential businesses, including Aikido dojos, have been shut down under a Public Health Order issued by the Governor of Colorado. This post describes how our dojo is adapting and what we’re doing as a dojo to keep our local Aikido family together. I’ve also included some useful resources for both local and remote students to use, and I talk a bit about what we can do, as individuals to support our larger Aikido family.

What’s Going on in Colorado?

Our State Governor, in about mid-March, issued a series of Public Health Orders that shut down all non-essential businesses. Gyms were on the list of non-essential businesses. By the time Governor Polis had issued this order, we’d already shut the dojo down. We started working on a means of supporting online live classes in early March. The health of our dojo family is always our highest priority concern. Governor Polis subsequently issued a “Shelter In Place” order in early April. In response, we’ve moved the live stream broadcast equipment to the house. We’re now holding online classes on a regular schedule.

How has the Dojo Adapted?

We’re particularly lucky as students of Iwama-Ryu Aikido. We have a rich legacy of solo practices that that we can teach and practice together online. We’re also teaching Aiki Taiso (Aikido Exercises) that I practiced regularly during the five years that I practiced Ki Aikido. Occasionally we’re also teaching meditation and breathing exercises. We’re also adding in some exercises to strengthen core muscle groups in preparation for more advanced techniques when we return to the mat. Our online dojo is physically located in our living room. We have to be cautious with our space when practicing weapons in the house, but we’re finding that this works well.

We’re also holding a weekly Dojo Happy Hour, where we all gather for an hour or so, using Zoom, to practice a little “Social Waza”. I think this has been a pretty effective way to keep folks in touch during the outage. Most of our students are reliably both attending online classes and coming to our Happy Hour.

We may also start holding “Watch Parties” featuring Aikido seminars and classes from our very large collection of videos. I’m in the process of asking permission where required. We may continue this after we return to normal dojo operations.

In Weapons in the Park with Hendricks Shihan

We are adapting to make the best of an unprecedented situation, but we’re all eager to get back to the mat. After a few weeks of teaching online, I’m even more convinced that both teaching and learning Aikido solely using online resources is simply not possible. Once all of this settles down… If you’re an Aikido student, who is trying to learn Aikido online please find a dojo. Don’t get me wrong. I believe video can make a useful supplement to higher ranked students (3rd Kyu and above). I don’t believe you can learn Aikido from videos, books, or even a live stream. There is a set of solo exercises that can be practiced online. However, the Art of Aikido requires, and will always require, like all martial arts, experiential learning. Transmission must be in person. The minute this crisis abates, we’ll be opening our doors for in-person practice!

Attending our Online Dojo Events

After some technical wrangling we’ve managed to settle on an implementation that’s working fairly well for us. Our online classes are held on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 6:30PM to 7:30PM and Saturday from 10:00AM to 11:00AM (US Mountain Timezone). We broadcast classes live on Facebook. Classes are announced and broadcast from our Facebook Page. The next scheduled class is announced a day or so in advance and the post is pinned to the top of our feed. Everyone is welcome!

Dojo Happy Hour is held on Friday starting at 7:30PM (MDT). The Zoom Meeting Link is on our event calendar. Zoom recently began requiring passwords for all Zoom sessions.

Anyone is welcome to join us for both classes and our Happy Hour. If you’re one of our students, a student from another dojo, or you’re just curious and want to participate, you’re absolutely welcome. If you’re from another dojo, or you’re just popping in to watch, send us an email (info@cos-aikido.com) or contact via Facebook Messenger to let us know you’re online. This both encourages us to continue broadcasting and helps us tailor classes based on attendance. If you’re attending our online classes regularly please consider dropping us a 10.00 mat fee. We don’t really charge for online classes, but every little bit helps cover our on-going dojo rent and utilities.

Please email us at info@cos-aikido.com if you’re having any problems with joining us for either online class or Happy Hour.

Supporting the Aikido Community During these Unusual Times

These are strange times for everyone. The larger Aikido community is no exception. If you are an Aikido student it’s important to understand that your monthly dues don’t “buy instruction”. Your dues help keep your dojo open and operating. Aikido instructors rarely draw a salary for their time. Most dojos operate at a loss and if they’re lucky, they might break even. Many Aikido Shihans rely on seminar fees to both support their dojo and supplement their salary. Any seminar that we were planning to attend, over the next few months, has been cancelled. As far as we know, seminar cancellation is widespread. Dojos are closed planet wide.

Our headquarters dojo, Aikido of San Leandro, is one of the few full-time Aikido dojos in the United States. Patricia Hendricks Shihan both teaches full time and runs a world renowned Uchideshi program. As a direct student of Morihiro Saito Sensen, Hendricks Shihan has dedicated most of her life to both learning and teaching Iwama-Ryu Aikido. Aikido of San Leandro needs our support. Like all dojos, whether they have classes, or not, the rent is still due. Our dojo has already donated, but anyone that wishes to donate personally, please get in touch with us via email/phone and we’ll let you know how to donate.

If you wish to support Aikido locally, please consider attending our online classes. We’re working to keep our students moving forward on their personal path, and if your dojo is closed, we’d be happy to have you join us! There is no charge for attending. We only ask that you introduce yourself and let us know that you’re there. If you’re a prospective student who is considering study of Aikido, our Colorado Springs Aikido Dojo is a fantastic option. Please contact us via email, phone or Facebook Messenger to chat!

Resources

John Wiley

Dojo-cho/Chief Instructor
Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs

Wiley Sensei (Sandan – Aikikai) started his Aikido career in the mid-1990s. Since early 2000, he’s been exclusively studying Iwama Aikido. He and his wife, Elizabeth, opened Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs in early May 2018.