Actually practising Aikido

Dojo is the Japanese term for a formal training structure for martial arts, it is where to practice your Aikido. A modern day Aikido dojo however loses most of its formality.

Some of the modern Aikido dojo that are run by small groups of individuals who want to remain authentic to the spirit of the traditional dojo, students conduct a cleaning ritual after each training session.

Most traditional dojo observes a set pattern of precise entrances that need to be adhered to by the students depending on their rank. Students will commonly enter the dojo from the lower left corner while instructors will enter from the upper right corner.

Since the development of Aikido from the hands of its founder Morihei Ueshiba, it has gone through drastic changes. If you are into aikido and already been enrolled in one of the classes, you must familiarize yourself with everything that you need to know about the martial art.

As someone once said, much in life is accomplished simply by showing up. Most aikido practitioners suggest that for a student to advance in aikido, he or she should practice at least twice a week. Make your training your own responsibility. Just like in any martial art training, Aikido requires attention and dedication from you.

Although instructors and senior students will be there to guide you, they wouldn’t be the one responsible for your improvement. Learn more about teaching, training and exercising Aikido here.