Aikido Beginners Guide - How to start - Pinner Aikido Club London

1. What do I have to do to begin?

• Be aged 18 or over.
• Come along to any class and join in as a beginner or take a seat and watch.

You will gain much more insight into aikido if you join in. If you would like to participate you should bring:

• Loose clothing with a bit of ‘give’ (like sports trousers and a t-shirt)
• Flip Flops for walking when off the mat area. (Training is in bare feet or with socks if needed.)
• A bottle of water.
• A small towel if you perspire easily.
• The initial training fee of £10.

You won't be asked to sign up to anything, though you will be asked to fill in an emergency contact form and a short medical fitness form.

2. So what are the classes like?

Class sizes vary but usually range between 10 to 15 people. Our club runs a mixed class with separate changing facilities. The classes are quite social affairs and training partners are encouraged to help each other with fair practice and advice.

In the main training group, partners are changed frequently so you aren’t stuck with one person all night. Everyone works at their own pace during the training sessions and no one is forced into doing anything they are not comfortable with.

As a New Beginner you will have a coach qualified instructor assigned to you for the first few lessons. He will take you to the far end of the mat and show you how to fall in a safe way and explain the basic movements and teach you a few techniques. Once you are ready and feel comfortable with it, you can join the main group. Usually this takes a couple of classes but there is no pressure if you want to take longer.

3. Whats the training like?

Your introductory classes will include:

• Gentle stretching and warm up.
• Forward and Backward rolling breakfalls.
• Basic Aikido movements and exercises.
• An introduction to Aikido techniques with lots of explanation and assistance.
• Cool down

To keep things interesting and enjoyable, every class focuses on a different aspect of aikido, but will usually cover some of the following:

• Warm up and starting Rei
• Breakfalls (How to fall in a safe way)
• Tai Sabaki (Basic movement)
• Balance taking
• The use of distance and space
• Defences from different strikes and holds

For more advanced students:

• Dealing with multiple opponents
• Defence from armed opponents

4. How much does it cost?

Aikido is probably the least expensive of all the martial arts and we won’t be needing your bank details either! We have planned everything out to make it as easy and cost effective as possible for you.

Full information about training costs, obtaining a uniform, getting insurance, joining the Kai Shin Kai Aikido Association and grading costs can be found in our Timetable and Fees section.

5. I still have a couple of questions.

Please visit our FAQ section, this contains answers to all the commonly asked questions related to the club and training.

Please feel free to just come along and visit us. Whether you join in or just watch, you'll be welcome and we feel confident that you'll have an enjoyable time at our friendly club.