I’ve been going to Aikido classes now for about three months at Puget Sound Aikikai and really enjoying it. It’s a great workout, and I’ve always liked the concepts behind this martial art. I took some intro classes in college at the Seattle Ki Society and always knew that I wanted to continue. I noticed that there was a dojo just a couple blocks from where I work, so that was the main factor in deciding which one to go to.
The teaching style is quite a bit different at the two dojos. PSA is considered more traditional and teaches more like a martial art style: very vigorous and physically focused. The Ki Society was much gentler and focused on Ki, energy, and mind body connection. The vigorous workout fits me better right now since I really need a physical activity midweek since working a desk job has been making me lazy. I think long term the mind body focus is more interesting to me though. Either way, I’m learning a lot.
A lot of the instruction at PSA is non-verbal, which is a change for me. It’s difficult for me to get used to, but I think it helps develop a skill that most people never get a chance to. It’s a lot different learning something just by watching and then doing than the usual method most people rely on where they wait to be told what to do. There’s still plenty of chances for the teachers to correct what I’m doing, but words seem to be a last resort.
I’ll probably be taking my first test in the next month or two, depending on when they’re offered. I think the main thing will just be remembering what names go with what moves since all the names are in Japanese. I saw others take their 5th kyu tests (the ranks start at 5th kyu and work up to 1st kyu before the black belt rankings start) a few weeks ago and was surprised that I knew most everything they did. Now I just need to memorize some Japanese.