Aikido

[danaeris]

I'm thinking about joining an Aikido dojo instead of a gym.

There are two near my place.

This one sounds very good and is slightly more conveniently located (Gerrard and Yonge), but no prices are listed, and the class times look less convenient for me.
http://www.aikido.ca/Mainpage.html

This one is almost as convenient (just north of Dundas on Broadview, so, a quick hop on the streetcar) from home, and has a beginner package of $150 for unlimited classes for three months, complete with aikido uniform. The class times are many and relatively convenient.
http://www.shugyo.com/times.html

Anyone interested in joining me in doing this?

Anyone knowledgeable about martial arts have any comments?

Comments

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

Were I close enough, I would...

[yaksman.livejournal.com]

I took a look at the pages and found the fees link for the other school: http://www.aikido.ca/Fees.html

Visit both schools, meet the instructors and ask to observe a class. Pick the one that you want to spend time at. The best thing about AEMMA is that I genuinely like the instructors, that counts for an awful lot.

Scholler John Wignall,
Academy of the European Medieval Martial Arts

[foms.livejournal.com]

Advice gleaned from aikido-enabled friends.

You will learn to fall. You will fall. You will fall a lot.

Read this

[zyxwvut.livejournal.com]

Written by nickykaa: How to Find a Good Dojo.

Z

P.S.: Good on ya'.

[metalana.livejournal.com]

I think the Gerrard & Yonge one is the place that squid_pants is utterly devoted to. If you don't know him, I can put you in touch to ask more.

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

Depends... What exactly are you aiming to get out of this? If it's physical shape, you'll plateau out after a certain point. Aikido as a general rule isn't really as physical training-focused as a good gym program. But I don't know what physical shape you're in, how hard you drive yourself in the gym, or what your physical limitations/health restrictions may be.

Just don't expect to use on the street what you learn in the first three months in the dojo. Even the falling.

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

If I may make a recommendation, here is mine. Used to be called "Emerge Internal Arts." The sifu, Andy James, used to be the head of the Medical Qi Gong Association of America, IIRC. Teaches T'ai Ch'i with full applicaiton, Ba Gua, Qi Gong, Push Hands and, I think, Hsing-I. Ask knottymark about the styles; I believe he can talk about them more intelligently than I. Especially the health benefits.

[energeticintent.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I don't know the differences between the styles which you mentioned... However I feel compelled to explain that I like Qi Gong since it's a healing form and not a fighting form. While I'm sometimes compelled to fight, I really do prefer to heal.

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

That was always my impression, too... But take a look at the bottom of the training offerings at the school I linked to. They talk about something called "martial Qi Gong." Can you shed some light on that?

[energeticintent.livejournal.com]

The "Martial Qigong1. Iron Shirt" bit is talking about a defensive measure. One of my instructors talked a bit about it one time. Once you learn how, it can put into place almost instantly.
The "Martial Qigong 2 Striking techniques etc" sound obvious.

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

I'm sorely tempted; let's discuss this tomorrow night.

[energeticintent.livejournal.com]

There's another dojo near Dundas and Bloor which would be pretty close to your place, think. A friend and I went for an evening to see how their classes went. I pretty much wrote off attending the class when they show'd me where the blood cleanup kit was. That was how they kept the white mats so spotless.. by having a well stocked cleanup kit close at hand. I've also heard that there can be long term health issues wrt joins and tendons being stretched repeatedly.

As others have said, seek those who have experience, join a class and see if you like it.

[curgoth]

I did jujutsu for a number of years, and I can now crack all the joints in my right arm. To be fair, though, I used to have "dead joints", so I took considerably more than the typical amount of punishment. Depending on the school, aikido can be gentler on the body than jujutsu is.

[energeticintent.livejournal.com]

For sure it depends on the school and their intention! ;-)