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I am concerned that I will slow the class down because of my skill Level
Do not worry about slowing the class down because more than likely you will be paired with a senior student who will be more than glad to
work out with you at your level. Whenever a visitor or new student work out with a senior student in our dojo, the senior will inevitably
remember the time when they first visited or joined the dojo and the patience that was given to them and now it is their chance to repay the
kindness.
Do you have an introduction class?
An intro class is a great way to determine if Aikido is a right fit for you. However, we do not have intro classes because usually that class
consist of a group of people with no Aikido experience practicing Aikido on each other. At Aikido Suenaka-ha Ashland visitors and new
students will practice with all the members of the dojo. By doing so will allow you to experience the effective of Aikido as well as afford you
the opportunity to work with various levels of proficiency and body types. As chief instructor I feel that by having new students practicing in
this type of environment facilitates a greater understanding of Aikido.
I am not really in the best of shape, should I wait until I have had the chance to lose weight or start some sort of exercise prior to
coming to an Aikido class?
First thing you should do is check with your doctor if you have not worked out in a very long time to make sure that you do not have any
hidden health risk. Also please be advise that you will be constantly watched to make sure that you are not over doing it just because think
you should be able to keep up with the rest of the class. The rule is do what you can do and continue to practice. Although being
physically active helps, there is one thing you should know and that is nothing gets you in shape for Aikido but Aikido.
You guys are thrown down quit often and it looks like it hurts?
It does, but part of the training is learning how to be thrown which lessens the pain of hitting mat greatly. Actually some students are so
proficient at being thrown that they enjoy taking a good fall. If you every get a chance to watch Aikido you will notice that some people get up
off the mat after being thrown laughing. Dr. Oz even showed an Aikido roll as the proper way to fall in order to do very little damage to your
body.
I would like to start to Aikido but I feel that I am too old.
Please, put that thought out of your mind. You are never too young or too old to practice Aikido. However, in order to practice at our dojo,
we request that you be at least 14 years old. You will find people younger than fourteen on the mat but please notice that their parents are
practicing as well. There has been special cases, such as a means to prevent bullying, when people younger than 14 have been allowed
to practice with us The average student age in this dojo is 39 and we have quit a few men and women over the age of 50. Of course those
in this dojo who are over age 50 strongly believe that over the age of 50 is not for wimps.
Can people with physical limitation practice Aikido?
Yes. There are wonderful examples of people who have achieve their black belts with all sorts of physical limitations. As chief instructor I
personally welcome the opportunity to support students in challenging their physical limitations. Aikido Suenaka-ha Ashland is an equal
opportunity organization, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ethnic group, age, sexual orientation or physical abilities.
Do you have a Kids program?
No, sorry. The reason that we do not have a kids program is because it takes about five years to obtain a black belt. By the time a sixteen
years old student receives black belt he will have reached a certain level of maturity that is needed in holding a black belt. However,
younger people do practice with us on a case by case basis. Often if a very young student is practicing with us is because he/she is on the
mat with a parent. When the child and parent both practice Aikido the parent is not sitting in the audience cheering the child on but more
so is on the mat leading by example. There are some really great Aikido program for young children and might I suggest you check out
Aikido in the Fan or River City Aikido or go to google.com and search Aikido for kids in Richmond, VA.
Although I am interested in Aikido, I was wondering if this is really the best form of self defense to study?
It is not fair to compare one form of martial art to another. You really have to determine why you are interested in studying any form of self
defense, are you pursuing self defense studies for safety reason or because you are in eminent danger? Spend some time and do your
research. Each form of self defense is going to have pros and cons. However, if you meet an instructor and they tell you that they offer a
foolproof style of self defense you might want to rethink joining that school.
Well how effective is your style of Aikido?
As chief instructor I teach students to use Aikido as a means to evade and escape a hostile situation. At our dojo you will learn how to
defend from a punch or a grab and subdue your opponent with a lock, pin or throw in order to provide you with an opportunity to leave the
hostile situation. When Sensei Roy Suenaka developed his Aikido curriculum his belief was that if the technique did not work then he was
not going to teach. Ineffective techniques could be the difference between one's well being and personal injury. If you get a chance please
read Sensei Suenaka's book Complete Aikido which will provide more detail about how this style of Aikido came into being.
Okay, so how do I join?
Feel free to take a couple of trial classes or just come to the dojo about fifteen minutes before class and fill out an application and bring
listed fees. How to join
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable clothing such as tee-shirt and sweat pants. You will be expected to buy a uniform at some later date.
What should I expect?
When a person decides to study a martial art they sort of have some idea of what to expect based on the information they have researched.
As a new student on the mat you should expect to receive a lot of encouragement from the instructors as well as the other students. You
will notice that everyone on the mat is supportive of your efforts to gain an understanding of the principles and techniques of Aikido. Also
expect to challenge yourself which is part of the natural learning process. By the why you should also expect to laugh, have a good time
and sweat.
Do I need to bring anything?
Just a sincere desire to learn and grow as well as enjoy having fun. We do practice weapons work and those items are located in the
dojo. You can use one of the dojo's jo and bokken for kata pracitce. If you decide to you can purchase these items from any martial arts
supply store.
I had another question but it just slipped my mind..
No problem. If you have other questions you can contact us or call 804 537 0526 and we will try our best to answer it for you! Just use the
contact link above or below.
Do not worry about slowing the class down because more than likely you will be paired with a senior student who will be more than glad to
work out with you at your level. Whenever a visitor or new student work out with a senior student in our dojo, the senior will inevitably
remember the time when they first visited or joined the dojo and the patience that was given to them and now it is their chance to repay the
kindness.
Do you have an introduction class?
An intro class is a great way to determine if Aikido is a right fit for you. However, we do not have intro classes because usually that class
consist of a group of people with no Aikido experience practicing Aikido on each other. At Aikido Suenaka-ha Ashland visitors and new
students will practice with all the members of the dojo. By doing so will allow you to experience the effective of Aikido as well as afford you
the opportunity to work with various levels of proficiency and body types. As chief instructor I feel that by having new students practicing in
this type of environment facilitates a greater understanding of Aikido.
I am not really in the best of shape, should I wait until I have had the chance to lose weight or start some sort of exercise prior to
coming to an Aikido class?
First thing you should do is check with your doctor if you have not worked out in a very long time to make sure that you do not have any
hidden health risk. Also please be advise that you will be constantly watched to make sure that you are not over doing it just because think
you should be able to keep up with the rest of the class. The rule is do what you can do and continue to practice. Although being
physically active helps, there is one thing you should know and that is nothing gets you in shape for Aikido but Aikido.
You guys are thrown down quit often and it looks like it hurts?
It does, but part of the training is learning how to be thrown which lessens the pain of hitting mat greatly. Actually some students are so
proficient at being thrown that they enjoy taking a good fall. If you every get a chance to watch Aikido you will notice that some people get up
off the mat after being thrown laughing. Dr. Oz even showed an Aikido roll as the proper way to fall in order to do very little damage to your
body.
I would like to start to Aikido but I feel that I am too old.
Please, put that thought out of your mind. You are never too young or too old to practice Aikido. However, in order to practice at our dojo,
we request that you be at least 14 years old. You will find people younger than fourteen on the mat but please notice that their parents are
practicing as well. There has been special cases, such as a means to prevent bullying, when people younger than 14 have been allowed
to practice with us The average student age in this dojo is 39 and we have quit a few men and women over the age of 50. Of course those
in this dojo who are over age 50 strongly believe that over the age of 50 is not for wimps.
Can people with physical limitation practice Aikido?
Yes. There are wonderful examples of people who have achieve their black belts with all sorts of physical limitations. As chief instructor I
personally welcome the opportunity to support students in challenging their physical limitations. Aikido Suenaka-ha Ashland is an equal
opportunity organization, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ethnic group, age, sexual orientation or physical abilities.
Do you have a Kids program?
No, sorry. The reason that we do not have a kids program is because it takes about five years to obtain a black belt. By the time a sixteen
years old student receives black belt he will have reached a certain level of maturity that is needed in holding a black belt. However,
younger people do practice with us on a case by case basis. Often if a very young student is practicing with us is because he/she is on the
mat with a parent. When the child and parent both practice Aikido the parent is not sitting in the audience cheering the child on but more
so is on the mat leading by example. There are some really great Aikido program for young children and might I suggest you check out
Aikido in the Fan or River City Aikido or go to google.com and search Aikido for kids in Richmond, VA.
Although I am interested in Aikido, I was wondering if this is really the best form of self defense to study?
It is not fair to compare one form of martial art to another. You really have to determine why you are interested in studying any form of self
defense, are you pursuing self defense studies for safety reason or because you are in eminent danger? Spend some time and do your
research. Each form of self defense is going to have pros and cons. However, if you meet an instructor and they tell you that they offer a
foolproof style of self defense you might want to rethink joining that school.
Well how effective is your style of Aikido?
As chief instructor I teach students to use Aikido as a means to evade and escape a hostile situation. At our dojo you will learn how to
defend from a punch or a grab and subdue your opponent with a lock, pin or throw in order to provide you with an opportunity to leave the
hostile situation. When Sensei Roy Suenaka developed his Aikido curriculum his belief was that if the technique did not work then he was
not going to teach. Ineffective techniques could be the difference between one's well being and personal injury. If you get a chance please
read Sensei Suenaka's book Complete Aikido which will provide more detail about how this style of Aikido came into being.
Okay, so how do I join?
Feel free to take a couple of trial classes or just come to the dojo about fifteen minutes before class and fill out an application and bring
listed fees. How to join
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable clothing such as tee-shirt and sweat pants. You will be expected to buy a uniform at some later date.
What should I expect?
When a person decides to study a martial art they sort of have some idea of what to expect based on the information they have researched.
As a new student on the mat you should expect to receive a lot of encouragement from the instructors as well as the other students. You
will notice that everyone on the mat is supportive of your efforts to gain an understanding of the principles and techniques of Aikido. Also
expect to challenge yourself which is part of the natural learning process. By the why you should also expect to laugh, have a good time
and sweat.
Do I need to bring anything?
Just a sincere desire to learn and grow as well as enjoy having fun. We do practice weapons work and those items are located in the
dojo. You can use one of the dojo's jo and bokken for kata pracitce. If you decide to you can purchase these items from any martial arts
supply store.
I had another question but it just slipped my mind..
No problem. If you have other questions you can contact us or call 804 537 0526 and we will try our best to answer it for you! Just use the
contact link above or below.
| Frequently Asked Questions |
| Aikido Suenaka-HaAshland 405 England St. Ashland, Va 23005 804 537 0526 |
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