The myth of a fair fight.

If you think martial arts are just for the testosterone enriched, think again. Martial arts are (supposed to be) an intellectual endeavor aimed at giving the practitioner a distinct advantage in a fight. Each of the many styles lends itself to specific a context, some to warfare, some to law enforcement, some to James Bond style license to not have to worry about paperwork, and others to self-defense. But all of them are share the purpose of giving you a distinct advantage. Don't confuse sport with practical application. Weight classes, height, and age classes are all designed to level the playing field to make the game more interesting to watch. In reality, those that would do us harm are smarter. They seek out those smaller, weaker, fewer, and apparently less able to defend themselves. This is why we train. Skill and awareness to prevail over strength and numbers. Martial arts are for all sizes, shapes, and ages. The context of Aikido is self-defense and relies on a near certainty of physics, that the aggressor is big enough to hurt themselves. We don't overpower our attackers, we develop principles and reflexes that convince them to "throw" themselves. Any strength we add is icing on the top and at our discretion to apply depending on circumstance. Come find out why we have the saying in our dojo, "You are the perfect height." #perfectheight #grrrls

Winter Camp 2017

Winter camp 2017 has come and gone but it has left indelible footprints.   In its wake are left clear and unmistakable signs of progress.   We were witness to the graduation of Jason McEvoy to the rank of shodan; a gateway to a deeper level of study.  Alone that would be quite satisfying, however the long hours and decades of cumulative dedication of two of our members were made evident in their sandan tests.  Alan Tamayo and Ray Easton clearly demonstrated their skill and competence in Sunday's testing. 

As Sensei has often said, progress is happiness.  Thanks to the continued dedication of our dojo and especially these exemplary aikidoka, we can be both proud and happy.

Stellaaaaaa! - Wednesday 3/15 - Class Cancelled

Since winter storm Stella continues to blanket us with snow...class is cancelled for this evening - Wed. 3/15.

Hope to see you on Thurs. 3/16 at 6:00 pm to celebrate our great winter camp tests and to present some certifcates from summer camp testing.

Stay warm, stay safe!

March 14th Classes Cancelled

All, 

Welcome to March in Rochester.  Based on current conditions and the projected additional snow fall / wind combination,  let's plan on enjoying a night off tonight.   

Save your energy and be sure to come out Thursday night to celebrate the great testing efforted at camp this weekend as well as provide certificates from summer camp testing.

Stay warm and get home safely, 

-b

Belts and Certificates

Please join us on Thurs. 3/16/17 at 6:00 pm for after camp belt and certificate presentations.