*5 STARS!* I want to learn aikido and other forms of bujutsu....?

Question

I wana learn how to do aikido and if I can most of the bujustu techniques really well. I'm a 13 year old girl and I there are so many girls everyday being overpowered by guys because they don't know self defense. So I really wana learn and I know it would be a great form of excersise. But I can't find any place where they'd teach really good.... Does any one know of a place thats not that expensive thats in Queens, NY?? Does anyone know somewhere I can go to find out over the web?? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

*5 stars

Answer 1

Something important to figure out first is the difference (and there is one) between budo (especially gendai budo -- those arts created after the meiji restoration) and bujutsu (especially koryu bujutsu -- classical schools). Aikido falls into budo, whereas Takagi Ryu Jujutsu would fall under bujutsu.

Just because an art is budo or bujutsu doesn't make it any more or less relevant in today's society. Much of what makes up koryu bujutsu can be applied to modern threats (jujutsu locks and controls are just as effective against a firearm at close range as they are against a sword if you know how to approach it).

You mentioned Aikido, so lets say you wanted to locate a dojo in Queens teaching aikido. Now, from what I understand (I never got far with aikido), it takes quite some time to become proficient with aikido (or, at least, quite a bit of training), so be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Anyhow, if you search google with "aikido queens" or similar, you'll find some results: http://www.ngaikido.com/ or others. Find a number of them and start visiting. You won't find out if a place is any good without visiting. Visit a few, get a feel for where you fit in the best and where you feel the instructor shows the most competence. This'll be hard to recognize, but trust your instincts. If your feelings change, change dojo. You're there to learn self defense and get exercise. Belts and rank are nice, but meaningless. Besides, transferring from one aikido school to another (that is, from one school to another of the same discipline) just means demonstrating proficiency. Like the rest of us, you have to find where you fit the best. Recommendations are great, but everyone is different and two people don't necessarily mix with the same crowds.

Train hard, and pour yourself into your training and you'll find it very rewarding. Your age doesn't mean much so long as you're mature in your approach to your training.

Remember that usually, though not always, you get what you pay for. Cheap training can be but normally is not great training. By the same token, just because its expensive or exclusive doesn't mean it's any good.

One thing that I recommend to people wanting to find good instructors is to find video of the top practitioners of the art (for aikido, direct students of Ueshiba Morihei or o-sensei himself) and see if you can recognize hints of that movement in the instructor. If you can't, it could be either of two things: it's not there, or you just don't have eyes for it yet (too much "wow" factor).

Best of luck, train hard, and never give up.

Answer 2

www.modernsamurai.com

Check this out - I think they have a dojo in Queens.