Kim and I went to an Aikido class at the dojo near where I work. I can’t remember the name right now, but I’m sure I’ll mention it if I continue to go there. I took some Aikido classes a few years ago while I was in college and really enjoyed them. I would have liked to continue a regular practice but didn’t have the time or money. I still don’t really have the time, but I have the money so I’m gonna try to make the time.
We went to the all levels class, so I think there were a lot of more advanced students. It was hard to keep up, but fun to try. We got to use the wooden knives and defend against multiple knife attackers at once. I’m sure if they were real I’d be dead right now, but it was fun to make believe that I could fend off multiple knife attackers.
The other classes I took were from the Seattle Ki Society, which I thought had dissapeared, but I now see has just moved locations. They used to be around 65th and Roosevelt. The classes at the current dojo were much more martial in nature and seemed to stress Ki much less. I can’t generalize too much from one class though. The other main difference I noticed was that there was very little discussion of our practice. We watched the instructor perform a move, and then we got a partner and went and did it.
I should probably visit another Aikido school to compare, but this one seems alright and is walking distance from my job. I could bike there and home. I probably won’t start up taking more than a class a week until my climbing gym membership expires in the fall. I love climbing, but I think I need a break from it to try something new.