Mostly you can just show up with an open mind and positive attitude. We're always ready to invite in beginners with no previous experience. But for those of you who like to feel prepared, here are a few details:
Before practice we'll take care of some initial paperwork and then get ourselves and the space ready for practice.
Please wear comfortable clothes you can work out in. Sweatpants are better than shorts, and loose-fitting is better than form-fitting. Avoid anything that dangles (like hoods) or has hard parts (zippers).
Please make sure your hands, feet, body and clothes are clean. We'll ask you to remove jewelry. You can wear socks or go barefoot during practice.
In a typical practice we'll do these together:
Warm-up - Getting our bodies ready to move.
Ki Development Exercises - Repetitive movements / drills aimed at helping us embody the foundational aspects of how we use our mind and body in aikido.
Falling / Rolling practice - Starting wherever you are and building skills slowly and comfortably.
Self Defense Technique Practice - This is most of practice. We'll work in partners or groups to develop our technical skills cooperatively, taking turns to play the role of the attacker and defender (no sparing or competing).
Finishing Exercise - We often finish with a brief moment of meditation, breathing exercise or a partner activity we call kokyudosa.
Aikido practice is varied, with many different types of training. If you're specifically interested in fitness, let us know and we can help make sure you're getting the workout you're looking for. Alternatively, if you're concerned about your level of fitness, please don't worry. Everyone can train at a speed and intensity that's appropriate for their level of fitness.
Come to practice anyway and let us know what's happening for you. We regularly skip or modify parts of practice to try to accommodate everyone's physical needs. It's not at all inconvenient and it actually doesn't take away from your or anyone else's practice at all. We'll just ask that you be careful with yourself and let us know if there's anything you see us do that you think might be unsafe or uncomfortable for you.
Still have something you'd like ask? Please do! SeattleKokikaiAikido@gmail.com