What does our Aikido look like?

We're here to have fun and hang out with some pretty incredible people doing something we love.  We are regular people like you.

We teach a very soft version of the Japanese self defense martial art of Aikido. It involves learning how to help an attacker to throw themselves. There is no kicking or punching in our art. We work slowly and safely in a welcoming environment.

One of the most practical things we teach is how to fall without getting hurt. This has helped many of our members not just when in class, but in real life slip and trip situations.

Best of all, we help people learn how to trust and be trusted while working with each other, building confidence and camaraderie in the dojo . We love watching our students blossom and become their true selves in such a warm and loving second home.

Here is a sampling of the kinds of things you will learn at Shinju Dojo. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a few videos. We look forward to seeing  you at the next class!

Our favorite instructional videos can be found at Windsong Dojo:

Ukemi
Falling Practice

Learning how to fall safely is an extremely important life skill and a heck of a lot of fun!

You start on the mat, flat on your back, with instructions on posture and safety. From there, we move to falling from different positions:  sitting, squatting, then standing.

Hanasu no Kata
The Releases

In this group of kata, we learn to respond and float when an attacker grabs the wrist.

This introductory group of techniques appears to be simple but actually involves some very sophisticated concepts such as evasion and balance breaking.

Ju Nana Hon Kata
The Seventeen Basic Techniques

This set of techniques helps you integrate many facets of Aikido so you can accomplish various principles smoothly and safely.

By the time you learn this set of techniques you will be close to earning your black belt!
There is also a handy study guide on Windsong's site that will take you to videos of things you need to know for each promotion all the way through to Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt).
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A laugh between two masters of very different styles of Aikido. We're all friends here!
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