First day of Aikido?

Question

I Might take Aikido, but.. i want to know what they do in the first day of class; ex. do they give you the clothing, is it hard?, how long does it take time?, wat kind of belts are there *how many/color* and etc.

Answer 1

You need to ask these questions to the instructor at the school or dojo you wish to join.  Not all dojos are ran exactly the same.  There are different styles of Aikido with different views on belt systems.  Aikido is worth the effort you are willing to put into it.  As with any martial art, your body will take some time to learn the movements and techniques which are taught.  Some people have an easier time than others, as with anything new that you learn.  Decide for yourself if you feel comfortable with joining based on the instructor, what you observe when visiting the school, ect.  I would recommend joining a school that doesn't require you to commit for longer than a couple of months to begin with. (Three months max.)  You wouldn't want to be stuck for paying for a whole year contract without knowing if you want to do Aikido.  Once you know that you enjoy it, a longer commitment is fine.

Answer 2

Most Aikido clubs, as far as I know allow new students to wear comfortable clothing, long sleeved pants and shirt is preferred.  Some have uniforms for purchase.  Normally a judo gi is worn.  It might be good to see what everyone else is wearing before purchasing one.  Shoes are not worn on the mat, and a few wear socks or tabi (one toed socks.)

There are warms ups, we do Aikido specific ki exercises, which are exercises to build ones ability through combinations of movements, we also do wrist stretches.  Then we have forward and backwards rolls.   I always teach beginners rolls at the side of the mat.

As far as belt levels, we have six kyu levels: two orange, two blue and two brown.  Other schools have different colored belts, or do not even wear colored belts.  If there are several schools in the area it might be a good idea to visit or try a class at several.

Aikido is all learn at your own pace to slowly build up your ability.  If you stick with it, Aikido can be very addictive!

Another great thing about Aikido, anyone can do it!

Answer 3

From what I've read, Aikido IS pretty difficult -- don't expect to get good at is as quickly as you would in some other martial arts.  

Doesn't mean it's ineffective, though -- it'd just take longer for it to be effective in self-defense than other martial arts (well, unless the other martial arts dojos in your area stink compared to the aikido dojo. ;-)  lol )

Answer 4

It depends on the dojo and organization.

In my dojo, for example, the beginners do not need to buy the gi (white jacket and trousers). They can wear their own clothes, and if they like it, then they can buy the gi.

I think Aikido is harder in the beginning, because you need to learn movements that most people are not used to do. But it is good because it is a chance to develop self-coordination.

Once, you learn how to roll, receive the technique and apply it, the train becames a lot of fun. This can take up to 1 to 3 years depending on the frequency of your practice.

The ranks are divided in kyus and dans:

6th kyu (white belt)

5th kyu (yellow belt)

4th kyu (purple belt)

3rd kyu (green belt)

2nd kyu (blue belt)

1st kyu (brown belt)

1st dan (black belt)

Usually, a class lasts 60 to 90 minutes. In your first class, most people get confused, because they cannot replicate what they see. There is still a long way to integrate what you see to what you can actually do. Even simple movements, can get you confused. That only shows how mind and body are not yet integrated.

Good luck !

Here are some information about Aikido. It is in Portuguese, but you can translate it via google:

http://www.institutouniao.com.br/aikido/