Parents Guide for New Students

For beginning students, loose fitting clothing, such as sweat pants and a T-shirt, is appropriate. Shorts are not a good idea as a layer of fabric helps protect the knees during falling and rolling practice.

When you are ready, we can sell you the traditional white training uniform ("gi"). Cost is $37 - $40 depending on size. A gi purchased elsewhere may also be worn as long as it is white.

Safety is a concern at all times. Please make sure your children do not wear jewelry during class. Jewelry poses a safety hazard during training - to the student, to their training partners, and to the mat. Long hair should be tied back.

Make-up should not be worn during class as it may stain others’ training uniforms and the mat.

Please remove your shoes upon entering the dojo and store them neatly in the shoe racks. This is a traditional part of Japanese etiquette. It helps to keep our dojo, especially the mat, a clean and safe place to train. Parents, please respect our customs and serve as role models of this for our young students. You make a big impression when you set an example of respect for the dojo.

It is important that students arrive at the dojo wearing shoes. First and foremost, this is a safety issue -- there may be sharp objects or fragments on the parking lot or on the sidewalk. Arriving barefooted also tracks in dirt, resulting in black footprints on the mat, and is disrecpectful of the traditional etiquette we practice here.

There is a parking lot behind the dojo building. It is small and can be difficult to maneuver in, so please be careful. To keep our limited space open for everyone to use, please do not park your car in non-designated parking places (in front of the planters, for example), even if you are sitting in it or "will only be for a moment". It can create a traffic jam for everyone.

There is extra parking available at Mission Plaza, just one block from the dojo.

Please do not drop off your children more than fifteen minutes before the start of class, or pick them up more than fifteen minutes after the end of class. We cannot supervise them before or after these times.

In an Aikido dojo, observing basic forms of etiquette is very important to the creation of a respectful and attentive atmosphere that supports learning. Although Japanese forms may be unfamiliar to Westerners, after a while they become comfortable with expressions of courtesy.

Most basic to these forms is the bow. Bows can be either seated or standing. Keep a straight back and hinge at the waist. It is not a gesture of subservience, but of mutual respect and gratitude. It’s the Japanese equivalent of a handshake — and it doesn’t spread germs!

More important than the superficial observation of any form is the sincere and open hearted attitude toward training which gives meaning to the forms. In the dojo, students should observe the following guidelines:

• Please perform a simple standing bow in the direction of the shomen (the wall where O-Sensei's picture hangs) when entering or leaving the dojo.

• We say "onegaishimasu" ("please" or "I ask a favor") at the beginning of class, and "domo arigato gozamashita" ("thank you") at the end of class. During partner practice, students bow and say "onegaishimasu" to each other before starting and "domo arigato gozamaishita" after finishing.

• Traditionally, the instructor is called Sensei in the dojo.

• The proper way to sit during class is in seiza: formal Japanese sitting posture. This promotes an attentive attitude for learning. If someone cannot sit in seiza, they may sit cross-legged. Slouching, slumping, leaning, or siitting with the legs outstretched does not further the practice of balance and learning!

• After the sensei demonstrates a technique, students should bow and say onegaishimasu, then quickly bow to one of the people sitting next to them and begin to practice.

• When the sensei claps, students should stop training immediately and listen for instruction.

• When the end of a particular practice is signaled (often with two claps), students should stop practicing immediately, bow to their partner, and quickly line up in seiza.

Young people are expected to exercise self-discipline and follow dojo rules at all times while at the dojo, in class and out.

When the sensei is demonstrating a technique, students should watch attentively and not talk to their neighbors or otherwise create a distraction to others who are trying to follow along and learn.

During paired practice, students should perform the technique exactly as demonstrated. Aikido techniques can be dangerous if not practiced properly.

Students should not use excessive force when practicing a technique with their partner, or use excessive resistance. Training partners should work together to help each other learn the technique. This is one of the fundamental principles of Aikido: working together to find a mutually satisfying outcome.

Aikido is the 'martial art of not-fighting'. Never play fight or wrestle in the dojo.

Students should never lie down on the mat, except during pinning practice. This creates a dangerous situation where another student could trip over them or fall on top of them.

We ask that students do not chew gum in class. It could be dangerous if the gum is accidentally swallowed or even aspirated during a throw.

Testing is a natural extension of a student's training. The tests acknowledge the effort and commitment of the student while applauding their progress. For everyone, testing or not, it is a time to focus one's training, support each other, and to learn from one another. There is no pass/fail atmosphere during testing at our dojo. When the instructor determines that the student is ready to be promoted, s/he will set a date for the exam. In the weeks leading up to the exam, the instructor and/or assistants will work with the student in preparing for the exam, making sure they are well prepared for the exam and the techniques to be demonstrated. Students can expect to be promoted after a minumum of six months of training, assuming regular attendance and adequate progress is being made.

Your child is taking their first exam. The Sensei says “Please demonstrate suwari-waza shomen-uchi ikkyo, both omote and ura.”
Panic starts to set in. “I know all the techniques that are required for the exam, but WHICH ONE IS THAT??”

You actually learn some Japanese language when studying Aikido. Our dojo follows Japanese traditions, and we use the Japanese names for attacks, techniques, and other things in the dojo. So students learn names for things like parts of the body, basic movements (strike, grab, step, turn, etc.), and more. Students in the youth classes also learn how to count in Japanese. For a list of Japanese terms we use, please click here.

Aikido training involves close contact between students and with instructors. Students who are sick with a cold or flu should not train. Please help to maintain everyone's health by keeping your child at home if they are ill. If your child becomes infected with an ailment in which others at the dojo may have been at risk of exposure, please contact the dojo immediately.

Please make sure your children are clean before getting on the mat. Dirty hands and feet spread germs and dirt. Please make sure their training uniforms are clean and free of holes.

Fingernails and toenails should be kept trimmed for Aikido training. Sharp or long nails could scrape or cut others while training. (There are nail trimmers in the first aid cabinet in the hallway near the 3 bathrooms.)

Moving up to the class for the next age group can be an exciting and sometimes scary time. If your child is old enough to join the next age group, or their birthday is approaching, feel free to talk with the instructor of their current class about changing classes. The current class instructor will talk with the instructor of the older class and make a recommendation about how and when to change classes. The decision to advance students is based not only on the student’s age, but also their eagerness, maturity, and level of training. Please understand that the decision is based not only on the desires of the student and parents but also on what is best for the program as a whole; for example moving a student up before they are ready could adversely affect the experience of other students in the older class.

The practice of Aikido provides a model for the resolution of conflict, which involves both speaking and listening with respect, and working together to search for creative solutions.

If a problem arises in the class with your child, please speak with the instructor of your child's class, or with the Youth Program Coordinator if it is an administrative matter. You can expect to be heard, and be given information, and to be dealt with fairly and in accordance with dojo policies. Please remember that the instructors must conisder the needs of the entire program and the dojo as a whole.

If you do not feel comfortable discussing the matter with the class instructor, you may contact the dojo by email and ask to speak with the Youth Program Coordinator, or the Chief Instructor.

The dojo and its continued growth is supported and fueled by its community members. There is always a wealth of projects and tasks to be performed, ranging from several minutes of light housekeeping to several hours of painting, gardening, or maintenance work. Willingness to pitch in is the best skill of all. Whether you have several minutes during class time or several hours on the weekend, we always welcome parents’ involvement in the dojo community. Please call us or talk to the class instructors or assistants if you are interested in volunteering some of your time.