Starting Aikido

Introduction

If you’ve landed on this page, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re curious about studying Aikido. You might be completely new to the art, searching for a new dojo, or simply looking to cross-train in Iwama-Ryu Aikido while remaining rooted in your current practice. Whatever your reasons for being here, you’re welcome at our dojo! We’re committed to making Aikido training accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical condition — and your first week with us is on the house.

How to Get Started?

If you’re local to the Colorado Springs area, the easiest way to get started is to stop by during class hours — visitors are always welcome, whether you’d rather watch from the sidelines first or jump right onto the mat. Loose-fitting clothing, like a T-shirt and sweatpants, is all you need for your first few weeks.

Your first week of classes is free, and if you’re still weighing your options after that, we’re happy to arrange a longer trial. When you’re ready to commit, we offer a discounted beginner’s package covering three months of dues plus a uniform, and a family discount if you’d like to train alongside a family member.

Starting a martial art for the first time can feel intimidating — years of movies and TV have primed us to expect that. We work hard to make sure our dojo doesn’t fit that stereotype. Anyone who walks through our front door with a sincere interest in training Iwama Aikido will find a welcoming place to train. Questions in the meantime? Email us at [email protected] or give us a call — we respond promptly.

Why Choose our Dojo?

Colorado Springs has several Aikido dojos, and if you’re new to the art, it can be hard to tell the styles and schools apart. Here’s what sets us apart:

  • We teach a single, clearly defined style of Aikido with a structured curriculum.
  • We offer more training hours per week than all other local Aikido dojos combined.
  • Our curriculum emphasizes a strong foundation, including a well-defined weapons curriculum.
  • Every instructor holds rank from the Aikikai, is certified to teach Aikido weapons, and awards rank that’s recognized globally.
  • Our lineage is clearly documented and traces directly back to Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei.
  • Our instructors regularly train at seminars around the world — we treat Aikido as a lifelong learning pursuit.
  • We’re the only Traditional (Iwama-Ryu) Aikido dojo in the Colorado Springs region.
  • Our Chief Instructor has been practicing Aikido for more than 33 years. He’s spent more than 25 years focused exclusively on Iwama-Ryu Aikido.
  • We focus on technical development and on walking the path laid out by Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei as preserved by Morihiro Saito Shihan — we don’t spent a lot of time talking about “Aikido philosophy” or esoteric concepts. We believe the “internal” benefits of Aikido come from consistent and dedicated practice guided by a qualified instructor.
  • Your first week (up to five classes) is free, and we’re happy to extend trial periods for people with tighter schedules.

What is Aikido?

Aikido is a traditional Japanese martial art that focuses largely on using joint locks and throws to manage an attacker. Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei, studied and mastered several martial arts. O-Sensei hybridized a new art, initially called “Aiki Budo”, from these arts eventually creating Aikido. Daito-Ryu Aikijujitsu is one of the more prominent influences. O-Sensei also incorporated a philosophical foundation that is, among other things, focused on doing as little harm as necessary to an attacker. Contrary to internet lore, Aikido is not a “purely defensive” art.

Traditional Aikido of Colorado Springs teaches and practices Aikido as a martial art. However, regular long term Aikido practice brings much greater benefit than just self defense. Some of these benefits include:

  • Practical self defense skills
  • Improved balance and coordination
  • An improved sense of timing and distance
  • Improved posture, flexibility and overall conditioning
  • A greater awareness of your physical body and it’s relationship to the space around you
  • The ability to fall both spontaneously and safely

We use a progressive teaching methodology that gradually increases the intensity of practice as students progress in their ability to safely attack and receive technique. We work toward cooperatively increasing the intensity of attacks and responses in a safe and supportive environment. This approach supports accessible training for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical condition. We tailor daily practice to the ability of the students on the mat, fostering cooperative improvement for all students.

The Aikido We Practice…

We practice Traditional, or Iwama-Ryu (岩間流), Aikido. Iwama is a small farming town located about 100 km north east of Tokyo. After founding the Kobukan Dojo (later renamed the Aikikai Hombu Dojo) in Tokyo in 1931, O-Sensei retired to Iwama. In 1942, O-Sensei built a small dojo and a shrine, the Aiki Jinja, honoring the Art of Aikido. The dojo, originally called the “Aiki Shuren Dojo” is still in use today. The Iwama dojo is the birthplace of Aikido.

We practice and teach the Aikido handed down by Morihiro Saito Shihan. Saito Sensei spent 23 years practicing directly with O-Sensei in Iwama. For much of that time, Saito Sensei lived as an uchideshi, or live-in student at the Iwama dojo. Saito Sensei was a world-class Aikido technician, and an expert in Aikido weapons (Aiki-ken and Aiki-Jo) as taught by O-Sensei. O-Sensei, just prior to his death, named Morihiro Saito Sensei as the head of the Iwama Dojo and the Guardian of the Aiki Jinja. Saito Sensei spent the rest of his life faithfully preserving the Aikido he learned directly from the Founder. He organized and codified both the taijutsu (empty hand techniques) and the weapons curriculum, and left behind a significant legacy supporting those of us that desire to follow in O-Sensei’s footsteps. Our teachers are direct, long-term, students of Morihiro Saito Shihan.

What Makes Iwama-Ryu Aikido Different?

Iwama-Ryu Aikido is one of the most technically rich styles of Aikido, with over 600 fundamental techniques, or Kihon Waza. Our teaching style focuses on building a strong “foundation”, consisting of a proper stance, proper posture, and proper execution of basic techniques. Iwama-Ryu Aikido emphasizes the inseparable relationship between taijutsu (empty hand techniques) and weapons. Weapons practice is an important part of our practice. We are the only dojo in the Colorado Springs region teaching the Iwama style weapons curriculum. We also develop strong ukemi (falling) skills, including both realistic attacks and the incorporation of modern attacks. While Aikido isn’t principally a “punching and kicking” art, Atemi, or “striking” is an important part of almost every Iwama Aikido technique. We also teach both Kaeshi-waza (reversal techniques) and Henka-waza (adaptive techniques).

Visitors/Observers

Visitors and observers are welcome at any time! If you can arrive before class, we typically arrive about 30 minutes before class starts. If you can’t make it and you arrive after class starts, please have a seat, and as soon as we’re able, we’ll introduce ourselves and try to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to email us, or give us a call, as well. Our FAQ is also a pretty good place to look for answers to common questions.

Additional Reading

Form in Aikido

Over the years I’ve heard the statement made that Aikido is “without form”. I believe that this is a result of both misinterpretation of O-Sensei’s views and misunderstanding of Aikido pedagogy. My views are distinctly influenced by my Iwama Style background, but I think O-Sensei left quite a bit of evidence behind indicating that while HIS Aikido was without form, the path to getting to “Aikido without form” is not devoid of intense focus on form.

Continue Reading Form in Aikido