Some Prior Considerations; Physical and Mental
There are cases in which people with old injuries and medical ailments still practice Aikido. But no dojo anywhere can speak for you. Your body is your own and you will need to decide yourself. But it is advisable that you consult your local doctor first. In addition, you may want to highlight any problems to the instructor.
(Excerpt from the Karate Kid.)
Daniel : "Because Karate is fighting. And when you learn Karate, you learn to fight." Miyagi : "Is that what you really believe? So why do you learn Karate?" Daniel : (Slight pause in thought.) "... So I won't have to fight." Miyagi : "Ah, there's hope for you yet, Daniel-san."
Before starting Aikido or even any other martial arts, you may also want to consider your reasons first. Aikido aims to bring harmony to the world, it is not a means to 'kick some ass'. Learning Aikido for instant personal gratification is a definite no-no.
Whatever your reasons may be for starting, believe me when I say that, they will change as you progress in your training. Such are the wonders of Aikido.
I found two resources which I felt absolutely crucial that they be read for anyone who wants to know how to choose an Aikido school / dojo to join. One was excerpted from AikidoFAQ, and another from Tendoryu Aikido Berlin. These are just some possible considerations. You may, or may not agree totally with them.
(Excerpt from AikidoFAQ.)
The choice of a dojo is a very personal one. Everyone has their own path of learning, their own goals and expectations. The "best" dojo for one person is likely not the same as the "best" dojo for the next person.
If one is lucky enough to live in an area that has several, visit all of them. Get permission to watch some classes and observe how classes are taught, and how the students and instructors relate to each other. Is there a sense of mutual respect? Is there tension and fear? Does the atmosphere seem to promote growth? Most importantly, are you comfortable there? Try to visit while the chief instructor is teaching, but also try to get a feel for other people who may be teaching. See if the teacher appears to respect the students, and that they respect him/her.
Talk to various students and ask their opinions meanwhile noting their demeanor. A good sign is if either before or after a class which you are observing, a senior student or instructor comes over and talks to you. If you are ignored, it may not be the kind of dojo you are looking for.
Remember, this is where you hope to be spending a fair amount of time, and you want it to be a positive and rewarding experience. One final question, also very important, is simply "Do I like this dojo and these people?"
Beware of any dojo that tries to pressure you into a quick decision or is averse to letting you watch a few classes.
While the chief instructor's rank may be somewhat important, be wary of inflated qualifications. Although an affiliation with a national or international organization is no guarantee of quality (and some teachers, such as Gaku Homma Sensei are not affiliated at all), it can be a useful indication. Promotions given by non-affiliated dojos are not likely to be recognized anywhere else, and this may well be a consideration.
Once a dojo has been selected, sign up and attend a beginner's session and complete it, attending all of the classes. At the end of this introductory period you should have a good sense of whether it is the right place for you.
(Extract from Tendoryu Aikido Berlin.)
A couple of things that are important parts to look at in the process of choosing an Aikido school:
- The environment where you will learn and train
- The people that will be your partners
- The instructor
- The logistics of the school
The Environment
Be sure that you feel “ok” in the place.
If you are not allowed to watch any classes, you may not want to invest your time and money. Without seeing a class you will not be able to get a good feel for the school.
Ask questions - don’t worry about looking stupid or asking the “wrong” question. The are going to be teaching and training you - you want to get any concerns or considerations you have out before you commit to anything.
If you feel bullied or threatened in any manner, look somewhere else.
The People
Go, watch some classes (without participating), then ask to participate – see of the behavior of the students changes by the fact that there is a new person in their class.
What follows are just guidelines, which can be modified according to your needs and experience.
How good are the students?
This is more of a measure of the quality of the students as students than their skill at martial arts. See if you can picture yourself with these people. Are they attentive, respectful, interested in being there? Those are all good signs…
Is there a mix of upper and lower ranks?
This is not always obvious in the various Aikido styles without belt rankings, etc. It is generally a good sign if advanced, intermediate and beginning students are practicing together. Check the approach the higher ranked students take to you – their help will probably be very important in your advancement in Aikido.
Some schools have classes separated by rank though. Ask.
Is there a mix in the type of people in the class?
Although this doesn’t necessarily mean anything if it is not present, it is a good sign if there is a mixture of males and females, older and younger people in the class. It is typical for the efficiency of Aikido that it can teach a variety of people together.
Do they move the way you would like to?
This will give you some sense of what you can achieve. Look to the senior students and see if they move the way you want to move.
Do they help one another?
In a small class this may not apply, but in larger classes it is a good sign if the senior students support and assist the junior students. This kind of personal attention will aid you greatly in your training.
Do the senior students seem fit and relaxed?
This will give you a sense of the atmosphere of the dojo. If the senior students are uptight, nervous, unfit, out of shape, or unhappy, it may be a sign to move on. However, do not be put off by a single occurrence, i.e. because of THAT day the senior student was in a poor mood. It should at least prompt you to look carefully though…
How common are injuries?
As Aikido as well as other martial arts involves physical activity and contact, injuries will occasionally occur. However, if injuries are common and/or serious, there is likely a problem in how training is supervised, and you will probably want to look elsewhere. It will be difficult to tell what the frequency/severity of injuries in the class is in one or two visits. Ask the instructor.
The Instructor
You will need some basic trust in the individual, as a beginning.
The instructor is the person who is going to be guiding your development as an Aikidoka. You need to feel comfortable with him or her, and feel secure in receiving instruction from them. If you have some unease or personality conflict with the instructor(s) you might want to look elsewhere.
Do the students get personalized attention?
This will be a good judge of how valuable your time will be. If there is a good amount of instructor to student attention there will be more value for you.
Does the instructor differentiate between forms and functions?
Another good indication is to find out if the instructor(s) differentiates between form and function. In other words do they do it “because it looks good” or “because it works”. Anyhow, you should clarify the objectives of the specific Aikido school.
Violence in the class
If you see an instructor hitting students, or a senior student hitting students, be very clear that it was appropriate before you consider that school. Though be aware – if you are unfamiliar with Aikido, some techniques like atemi may seem violent to you.
Are adjustments made for students of differing body types and limitations?
Another good sign is if the instructor adjusts the training of his or her student’s physical realities: telling a slow person to work contact, a fast person to work ranges, a heavy person to work leverage, a light person to work speed, or, conversely, concentrating on their weak areas to compensate.
The Logistics
Money
This is an important element to be clear about. You don’t want to commit to a school if you can’t afford it. It is impossible to address what a reasonable price would be here, because the benefits offered, the local economy, the quality of instruction, and the amount of instructor time are all variables in the equation.
Find out if there are extra charges for going up in rank, find out if there are organizational dues, party contributions, mat fees, etc.
But do not be upset when an Aikido instructor charges money – they need to eat and have a place to stay. In our culture money is the way that happens. We do not feed and house wise old men. Now, some instructors teach for free or nearly for free after their primary job. However, the costs of a school, equipment, and insurance are frighteningly high. The best way to determine if a school is being reasonable is to compare what they offer for the price compared to what other local schools offer for their prices.
Location
If you are intending to spend a lot of time at the school you want it to be accessible, and convenient enough for you to get there after work, on weekends, etc.
Classes
Another thing you want to be clear on is when you can go to the school and when classes are.
Commitments and Promises
This is an important thing to know about any school you will be joining. Be very clear on what they will expect of you and what you expect of them. Some teachers want to teach only people who are willing to commit to them and their style, some are willing to introduce you to their style and let you dabble, some will teach you as long you show up. None of them are intrinsically better or worse, but you want to know where they are coming from so you and they are not surprised.
Find out if you are required to attend classes, find out about being late, find out what the policy is on school rules of behavior and etiquette. Find out how you are supposed to interact with the teacher and other students. There are many styles for all these things so make sure you find out. The easiest way is to ask these questions.
Choosing a dojo depends on your own personal choice. You can of course choose a dojo that is located near your home, school or office. Due to the small size of Singapore and it's public transport network, you can probably reach a suitable dojo under an hour. I would suggest dropping by a dojo and check out the teaching and learning environment there before making your decision. Speak to the instructor and address any personal worry or get more details before deciding. You may want to make a mental note of how the other students are really enjoying the class.
Though you may find that some courses actually has a start date, dojos under Aikikai Singapore and Aikido Shinju-Kai accepts registration throughout the year. But from the website, it seems that Ki-Aikido has new intakes on specific dates. So just contact the respective schools or instructors just to be sure.
(Quoted from the book 'Aikido: Exercises for Teaching and Training'.)
Question: How long will it take me to get a Black Belt?
Answer: About 10 minutes. Because "... there's a martial arts store nearby and you can pick one up for about $6.00. On the other hand, if you want to learn Aikido ... "
-- George Simcox, Ki Society
Aikikai (Singapore) grades approximately every 4 months, while Aikido Federation (Singapore) grades about every 6 months. This may vary from dojo to dojo. It would be wise not to rush into your grading. It will be up to your Sensei to decide if you are ready. Take your practice one session at a time instead and just enjoy the learning process.
OK, so how much is it going to cost me?
This is a very practical issue. It's not cheap to maintain a dojo. What with replacing damaged mats (or even expanding current mat space due to an increase in students), space rental, etc. It is impossible to do so with just air and water, so naturally you will need to cough out a certain amount of money when you take up Aikido.
Hence, you will have to consider the following:
Monthly fees
Fees for Aikido classes generally range between $25 to over $30 a month,
depending on the club and even more so on which dojo you sign up with. Students
in tertiary institutions pay a lower fee as compared to dojos which are open to
the public. Under most (if not all) clubs, you will probably make each payment
every 3 months.
Purchase of training weapons such as the bokken,
jo and/or tanto
As you progress on with your training, you may expect or choose to train in
weapons. The 3 weapons used in Aikido are the bokken (wooden sword), jo (wooden
stick) and tanto (wooden dagger). A bokken and a jo costs around $20+ each,
while a tanto may cost around $9. Again, it is probably cheaper to make your
purchase through your instructor. The different weapons each come in different
quality of wood, so this may affect the price too.
If you do the maths, you can expect an initial expenditure of at least $150 to sign up for a 3 months class, purchase of a gi, membership and registration charges. As time passes, this figure fluctuates depending on factors which may include, the wear and tear of your gi/weapons, quality of gi and weapons you want to invest in, to increase your training sessions, the speed of your progress (grading), etc. But these considerations come much later, so why not just give it a try first.