Children's Aikido

The Aikido class for children is much different then most might expect from a martial arts school. The class is based on character development, along with discipline and encouragement to learn. There is a tremendous amount of interaction between the students and teachers foremost because of the Question and Answer sessions we have. This serves the purpose of activating your child's brain to get them to think!

We have a cooperative and supportive training environment, which means that if your child is training with another who is more experienced than yours, this other child will share to the best of their ability the knowledge needed to help your child accomplish the task at hand. Of course in time, your child will also do the sharing with children of lesser experience. In a big way, they will become leaders and teachers themselves.

Many martial arts are about sport fighting, or the tournament circuit. The sport school may require you to spend a small fortune on equipment. We only have one piece of equipment, the bamboo sword, used for the traditional art called Kenjitsu. Of course, sword practice is done in a way where safety and structure are implemented relentlessly. So whether your child is practicing sword, or empty hand applications, competition doesn't exist, therefore there isn't a loser. Our children will study the martial movements of Aikido, but are constantly reminded that they must respect and take care of their training partners in the school. This non-competitiveness is something that changes the dynamics of the entire school. As in the Teen/ Adult class, an ego-free environment will emerge and then everyone wins.

Our teacher to student ratio is very good, on average about 1 instructor for every 6 children. We are constantly in the process of trying to prepare our youth to enter society as respectable adults. Discipline is reinforced and exercised to help parents get more out of their children then they might have originally hoped. As for the physical movements, we do not teach our children to become wrecking machines. The movements they learn are presented in a nonviolent manner.

Children can also take advantage of the Tae Kwon Do class led by David Palmer. This class is focused on kicking, and the development and coordination of the lower body. It has been a real success with the children, and that is why we encourage the practice. This Friday late afternoon class is also taught in a nonviolent way. We must emphasize that only the air, focus pads and heavy bags are kicked, not other children. The Tae Kwon Do class is included in the tuition, and attendance is completely optional.

We start accepting kids between the ages of 7 - 12. We feel that age 7 is good because the attention span has developed enough to hold for the entire class. When a child reaches about the age of 13, we seriously start to consider transferring the child to the Teen/Adult classes. Here, they are treated like adults. The ultimate goal is to instill confidence, structure, discipline, and a strong sense of worth. Our kids are very important to us, and you will see that when you visit us. If you have the chance, we highly recommend that you visit a kids' class soon. All are welcome!

For younger children (ages 4-6), you may wish to consider the tots' class.

The children's class emphasizes these points of practice:

• Discipline
• Safety
• Respect and consideration for others
• Self-control
• The physical techniques of Aikido
• The ability to focus
• Goal setting
• Physical conditioning
• Developing coordination
• Sportsmanship

You can contact us at 510-742-8321, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it