Practice Time and Place
Practices are held in the Veale Athletic Center Multipurpose Room (aka Aerobics room). The room is located on the second floor balcony overlooking the indoor track. Practices are:
- Sunday Empty Hand Class: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday Weapons Class: 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
- Wednesday Empty Hand Class: 9:00 - 10:00 p.m.
- Friday Open Practice: tentatively 12:30-1:30pm, but waiting for final word on room reservation.
Etiquette
Etiquette is extremely important in the study of aikido and other martial arts. The etiquette of aikido is tied directly to Japanese tradition and culture. There are a variety of etiquette rules as well as safety rules that should be followed during practice. These will be explained at an organizational meeting near the beginning of each semester and are also written in a handbook that can be purchased from the club president for $1.50, or you can download a copy here. Etiquette will also be explained as necessary by the senseis.
What to Wear
All that is necessary for the practice of aikido is loose comfortable clothing, preferably with long sleeves and legs to prevent "mat burn".
Once you have practiced aikido for a while, you may want to consider purchasing a "Gi" which is the white uniform generally associated with the martial arts. The large black or blue samurai-style pleated pants (called a "hakama") can be purchased at any time, but due to its high cost, we generally advise you to wait until you have earned your first rank (6th kyu) before investing in one.
Jewelry such as necklaces, watches, wrist bands, ankle bands, or earrings are highly discouraged during practice because of the possibility of them becoming entangled and ripped off. Please remove all such articles at the beginning of each practice.
Other Equipment
In aikido, the study of weapons is considered critical to proper technique. We use several kinds of practice weapons which are made of oak wood and are weighted and balanced to resemble the real weapons. These include the bokken (sword), jo (staff), tanto (knife), and shinai (split bamboo padded sword). The club has a supply of these practice weapons, but many students prefer to purchase their own so they can practice at home. We usually make a group purchase once per semester from Kiyota in order to receive a bulk discount. Please speak to one of the senseis or one of the officers to assist in selecting weapons.
