Frequently Asked Questions

Aikido is an effective martial art with some distinct differences from many other martial arts.  One major difference is that Aikido provides a range of responses to an attack, allowing the advanced Aikido student more options to tailor his/her response based on ethical considerations.  We certainly aren’t alone among martial arts where this philosophy is concerned. Unlike many other martial arts, however, Aikido training is accessible to students of all ages, and walks of life. Aikido is a martial art that can be practiced for a lifetime.  Long term practice will improve flexibility and balance, as well. Plus, Aikido training is downright fun…

We hold class five days/week. Our classes, with the exception of our Sunday Jiyu Keiko session, are two hours long, representing about 38 hours of training time per month. We offer more than double the number of monthly training hours compared to any other Aikido dojo in the Colorado Springs area. Our monthly dues are also among the lowest in the Colorado Springs area. We believe that Aikido should be accessible to anyone that wishes to study the art. We also offer all new students the opportunity to try Aikido at NO COST for their first week.

If you find yourself looking for a new place to study Aikido, you’re welcome on our mat. It’s that simple. We love Aikido, and we’re happy to teach any sincere student that walks through our door. Come join us on the mat!

These days there is quite a bit of online discussion about the effectiveness of Aikido as a martial art. “Effectiveness” is a complicated thing to gauge. Everyone has a different definition of “effectiveness” and people choose to study martial arts for many different reasons. Some people want to adopt a discipline that will help them grow as a person, both physically and mentally. Some people are looking for an effective method of self-defense. Some are looking for both. Many of the online opinions about “martial arts” are held by people that have never stepped foot on a mat. While it’s very true that some Aikido dojos practice Aikido ineffectively, the same can be said of any martial art. Aikido is often accused of not incorporating “striking” (Atemi) techniques. This is perhaps true for some styles of Aikido. While I certainly wouldn’t attempt to speak for all Aikido dojos, most Iwama style Aikido dojos view striking as an inseparable part of Aikido technique. Will Aikido work in an “MMA ring”? Probably not very well. Aikido isn’t a sport. We don’t train to earn points. We don’t compete on the mat. Training is a cooperative effort. The lack of competition doesn’t determine effectiveness. Will Aikido turn you into a “street fighting badass”? Probably not… But honestly, neither will any other martial art, regardless of marketing hype. It’s important to note that most people that have actually been in a “street fight” would do just about anything to avoid having it happen again. But… If you’re looking for a martial art that you’ll be able to practice for a lifetime, that will improve your balance and flexibility, teach you to fall in all possible situations, and provide you with solid self-defense skills… Aikido is good choice. We invite you to come take a few free classes with us.

While some dojos pride themselves in teaching a variety of Aikido “styles”, we have a very different view. We prefer a well defined curriculum that starts with strong fundamentals. We teach and practice “Traditional”, or Iwama-Ryu, Aikido.  In the context of Aikido, “Traditional” Aikido refers solely to the Aikido created by Morihei Ueshiba, and subsequently passed on by Morihiro Saito Shihan.    Other names for Iwama-Ryu Aikido include:  “Takemusu Aikido” or “Iwama Style” Aikido.  Morihiro Saito Shihan was our teacher’s teacher. He was well known for being one of the finest Aikido technicians to ever practice. Saito Sensei was also an amazing teacher who organized the Aikido that he learned, directly from the founder, for over 23 years. The Iwama-ryu Wikipedia page offers an accurate description of the style of Aikido we practice. Iwama-Ryu teaching methods are distinct, and focus on building a strong foundation.  Students then learn to execute techniques in motion. We also incorporate a robust weapons curriculum.  The word “Traditional” is, unfortunately, sometimes confusingly misused for marketing purposes.  If you are interested in studying Traditional (Iwama-Ryu) Aikido we are the only Colorado Springs dojo offering legitimate instruction in this style of Aikido. We are the only dojo in the Colorado Springs area with decades of experience teaching and practicing Aikido weapons (Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo). We are the only dojo in the Colorado Springs area with instructional staff holding certification in Iwama weapons.

Given that anyone can print out a rank certificate, buy a black belt, throw down some mats and teach “Aikido” this is a really good question. Our ranks and those of our teachers’ are not mysteriously instantiated out of thin air by an organization that doesn’t exist. Our ranks were, and continue to be, earned through decades of direct training with globally recognized teachers. Our teachers hold rank conferred by the Aikikai. Our Yudansha (black belt) ranks are conferred by the Aikikai. The Aikikai is an international organization founded by Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei. The Aikikai continues to be led by 3rd Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba, the grandson of O-Sensei. Our Yudansha examinations are officiated by Patricia Hendricks Shihan (7th Dan), who is head of CAA Division 1. Hendricks Sensei was a long-term direct student of Morihiro Saito Shihan, and was the first recipient of an Aikido weapons Menkyo-Kaiden (teaching license) from Morihiro Saito Sensei. We continue to train, regularly, with Hendricks Sensei, Yvonne Thelwell Sensei, and Mark Larson Sensei. Outside of our mainstream Iwama Aikido training, we also continue a decades long tradition of travelling globally to attend Aikido seminars across all major styles of Aikido. Our Dojo-Cho, John Wiley, holds a Sandan, or 3rd degree black belt, conferred by the Aikikai. He also holds a Level 3 certification in Iwama-Ryu weapons awarded by Patricia Hendricks Shihan.

Just like any new activity, coming to the dojo and stepping on the mat for the first time can be a challenge. We absolutely understand. We were all brand new students at some point. Your first step is to visit our dojo and observe a class (or several).  If you have questions, please email us, or call. If you’d just like to see what Aikido is all about, drop by and watch a class. Watching is free. We’re pretty informal. We love to hear from people and we enjoy having visitors. Alternatively, you are welcome to just come by, sign up, and start training.  Your first week of classes, as a new student, is free. Appointments aren’t necessary, but please check our calendar before coming by, as we sometimes close the dojo to attend Aikido related events. We usually try to arrive at the dojo about 30 minutes before class starts. If you’d just like to drop by to chat about joining, swing by before class. If you stop by, you might want to wear sweatpants and a T-Shirt. We welcome visitors, and we’ll probably try to convince you to join us on the mat.

We don’t presently offer children’s classes. The lower age limit to join our adult classes is 16 years old. Accommodation for younger students (13-15 years of age) may be possible, and is subject to evaluation on a student-by-student basis.

We’d love to help supplement your understanding of either a different style of Aikido or another martial art. All of our classes are open to friendly visitors. Longer term visitors (e.g. people visiting from out of town) should discuss payment with the Dojo-cho. In general, if you plan to attend more than seven classes, it’s cheaper to simply pay for a month. Once a month, weather permitting, we hold an outdoor weapons class at Keller Park. We charge a 10.00/class mat fee (visitors only).

This is a both a complicated and personal choice.  There are several styles of Aikido represented in the Colorado Springs region.  Our advice is to visit each dojo that you are interested in.  We are happy to provide contact information for all of the dojos in town. You should spend some time observing classes and talking to the instructor.  It’s perfectly acceptable to spend some time deciding where you’d like to practice.  Many schools offer a trial period.  Take advantage of this opportunity.  Serious study of Aikido requires dedication and personal commitment.  Your goal, as a beginner, should be to find a place that you can call “home”…
There are some important considerations when choosing a Dojo. Are both the instructional staff and the dojo affiliated with a larger organization (e.g. the Aikikai Foundation)?  Research the lineage of both the dojo and the instructional staff. The web is a powerful tool for determining the legitimacy of an organization.  You should be able to easily find information on the lineage of your chosen school and the organization it is a member of.  Ask questions.  While opinions vary on the importance of lineage and affiliation, we think both are very important.  We believe that when you earn rank, it should be valid globally.  We believe that a dojo’s lineage should be an unbroken and clearly defined path that begins with Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei, the founder and ends with your teacher. The lineage should be a straight line. Is the instructor respectful to students?  Are the instructors’ directions clear/concise?  Is the instructor attempting to teach overly complex techniques to beginners, or is the focus on “foundation”?  The answers to these questions, and the personal weight they carry, are of course, dependent on your training goals.  Different instructional styles appeal to different people. As a new student, it’s important to spend some time determining what you want/need to support your longer term Aikido training goals. Keep in mind that you are making an investment in your training. Time is the one commodity that you can’t buy more of. Invest your training time wisely! 

We’re not sure why, but this is a question that we seem to be asked fairly often.  The answer is “No”. We are not affiliated in any way with any other dojos in the Colorado Springs area. We moved here in mid-2015 from the Northern Virginia/DC area, where the quality and variety of Aikido instruction rivals that found anywhere in the world.  During the time we lived in the DC area, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to train almost daily for over 20 years with some really fantastic Aikidoka. After moving to the Springs, we spent a very enjoyable year training and teaching at one of the oldest dojos here in Colorado Springs. We decided in early May 2018, to return to our “roots” and open a dojo that focuses solely on Iwama-Ryu Aikido. Our parent organization is the California Aikido Association (CAA). We are a CAA Division 1 dojo. Patricia Hendricks Shihan (7th Dan) leads CAA Division 1.

Our dojo’s lineage is detailed here. Our teacher is Patricia Hendricks Shihan (7th Dan), she is also division head of the California Aikido Association (Division 1). We also studied for many years under Yvonne Thelwell Sensei (6th Dan). Thelwell Sensei is, and continues to be, a student of Hendricks Shihan. Wiley Sensei also counts Mark Larson Sensei (6th Dan) as a heavy influence on the Aikido he practices and teaches. Our teachers and sempai are some of the finest living examples of Iwama Style Aikido. We consider lineage to be an important characteristic of a Dojo. Here in the United States, where anyone can just throw a sign on a window, print a certificate, buy a black belt and open a martial arts school, a clearly defined lineage is the only real form of quality control.

No. We don’t require nor do we offer any kind of contract. This is a very common approach for traditional dojos. Dojo members pay a monthly membership fee.  Discounts are available for Full Time Students, Active Duty Military Members, and for families. We also offer the convenience of PayPal for payment of fees.  PayPal can also be used to set up a convenient automatic monthly payment plan.

Beginners are welcome to start training in loose fitting clothing (e.g. sweat pants and a tee shirt) for their first few weeks. Routine training requires purchase of a uniform, or Keiko Gi.  In the future, we plan to carry a small inventory of uniforms for purchase.  We do not require the purchase or wearing of a hakama until you reach the rank of 1st Kyu. In the mean time, please ask Sensei, or your Sempai, for advice about purchasing online.

The best answer to this question is “as often as you can”.  If you are sincere in your desire to learn Aikido, the minimum number of classes you should consider attending, during a given week, is two.  Most students find that forward progression is harder when attending fewer than three classes per week.  Progress will be difficult without both regular and sustained practice. Our dojo offers 38 hours of instructional time per month.

We’ve conveniently listed several of the more reliable online martial arts equipment vendors here.  We strongly recommend discussing any purchases with either your sempai or sensei prior to buying anything.  They can assist with sizing and other aspects of specific equipment purchases.

In general, training with a variety of partners, in a group setting, is the preferred approach to Aikido training, however, for situations where a student may feel like individual instruction is necessary (e.g. ukemi/rolling) it is possible to accommodate limited individual classes. We also offer Sunday “Jiyu Keiko” (Open Practice) class where personal instruction is available. Feel free to discuss this with the Dojocho.  A nominal fee will be charged for individual instruction outside of the normal class schedule.

Class content varies, however, most classes are structured as follows:
– 10-15 minutes of warm up (stretching exercises, etc)
– 10-15 minutes of Ukemi/Falling practice
~90 minutes of Aikido practice consisting of several cycles of demonstration by the instructor, followed by practice with a partner or in small groups, depending on the technique.

John Wiley is the primary instructor.  Mr. Wiley holds a Sandan, or 3rd Degree Black Belt (Aikikai) in Aikido.  He also holds a Level 3 certification in Iwama-Ryu Weapons. Mr. Wiley took his first Aikido class in mid-1994. He practiced almost daily until moving to Colorado Springs in early 2015. Elizabeth Hartman (1st Degree Black Belt) is Dai Sempai, or “Senior Student”.  She holds a Level 1 Certification in Iwama-Ryu Weapons. She assists with teaching and day-to-day dojo operations. All of our teaching staff hold rank conferred by the Aikikai.

Students aren’t charged test fees for Kyu (white belt) ranks. When testing for a Dan, or black belt, rank our parent organization collects a fee that covers the administrative costs of rank registration with the Aikikai.

Students aren’t required to pay any organizational fees. Our dojo is a member of the California Aikido Association – Division 1. All regular students are considered members of the CAA.

Our rank structure is based on a traditional kyu and dan rank structure. The test requirements, outlined in our student handbook, are a guide to help students focus their training. Our tests can be challenging. We test well above the minimum requirements recommended by the Aikikai. Every one of our tests also includes significant demonstration of weapons techniques. We feel that test preparation, and testing, are important for building a dojo community.