Manawatu Aikido Club

 

 

Getting Started

All adults, from the age of 13 upwards, are welcome. Our classes are open to both women and men. Come and see us before training sessions and we hope to answer any questions you might have. We encourage those who are interested or curious about Aikido to come see our training, and take part if they wish to experience it.

 

Clothing

White 'Gi' is normally worn for training, but new students can wear comfortable and loose clothes such as tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt. It is expected however that a Gi will be worn if the person decides to continue training.

The Gi is worn with an Obi (belt) that shows your Kyu (grade):

White Obi with Yellow Tip	6th Kyu
Yellow Obi	5th Kyu
Orange Obi	4th Kyu
Green Obi	3rd Kyu
Blue Obi	2nd Kyu
Brown Obi	1st Kyu
Black Obi	1st Dan (Shodan)

The 'Hakama' (black or blue 'overpants') is worn from the 2nd Kyu, Blue Obi.

 

Dojo Etiquette

Aikido training is conducted within the bounds of Japanese etiquette and words to which we adhere in our dojo:

• Rei (the bow), is a sign of courtesy, politeness and respect. On entering and leaving the dojo, make a standing bow at the doorway.
• On stepping onto the mat, make a sitting bow to O'Sensei.
• At the beginning of each class, students line up in seiza (sitting position) in grade order, and bow to O'Sensei, then to the instructor taking the class. When bowing to the instructor, students utter 'Onegai Shimasu', meaning will you please teach me.
• At the end of each class, students line up in seiza (sitting position) in grade order, and bow to O'Sensei, then to the instructor taking the class. When bowing to the instructor, students utter 'Domo arigato gozaimashita', meaning thank you very much.
• When training with a partner, bow to them at the start and finish of your training.
• When the instructor is demonstarting a technique, watch and listen carefully.
• Be punctual. We ask members to be at the dojo 15 minutes before the start of a class to help with laying the mats, and getting the dojo ready for training. At the end of the class, students are expected to help with clearing the mats and leaving the dojo tidy. No shoes, food or drink are allowed on the mats.
• Keep your Gi clean, and your nails short. To avoid injury, no jewelry is allowed during training.
• If you are not well or have an injury during training, please let the instructor know immediately.