Aikido of Gainesville
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We had 8 kids and 4 parents on the mats yesterday. I opened up the dojo but had to leave at 9:40 to go sing in the dress rehearsal for my church Christmas contata which we preformed this morning during the 3rd service. Sensei's Keith and Shaun team taught while I was gone. I was able to get back just before Noon. Keith told me they got a lot done. He said they pretty much went through all the techniques on the purple belt test for the yellow belts and the Herron Kids & Dad taught Shaun some of the kumijo (walking staff partner practices) I have been teaching them to get ready for their brown belt tests. These kids know more weapons than either Sensei's Keith or Shaun because there was no room to teach the weapons at the UTC. They tested for blackbelt soon after we moved into our present location with the high ceiling. I am teaching so much more weapons now and incorporating them into the tests. So my students are very well versed in lots of things for their ranks. Their insight into many advanced functions within techniques and weapons may be more than many advanced blackbelts in the Southeastern U.S.
I taught an Iaido and Zen class for the Santa Fe College community education last semester. In the Winter semester I'm adding a Jodo and Zen class to teach walking staff. These are taught right here at the dojo during our regular class times. Wednesday the 12th, the dojo will be closed. I am singing in the Christmas contata at Trinity United Methodist church up near 53rd Ave. & 43rd St. It's starting at 7:30. Come listen. It's free. We will have our annual Bonenkai, year end party, on Saturday the 29th. Everyone is invited. You might want to bring some finger snacks so we have enough. Don't bring too much. We want to have enough but not having lots of left overs. This will also be our December birthdays celebration. Shaun had a birthday last week and two of the Herron kids have birthdays this month. Saturday Dec 1st. We had 10 on the mat Yesterday. I awarded certificates for those who passed their tests last week. Sandor and Simone are going great guns learning the 31 no Jo and the Kumijo for it. Simone has the 31 Jo kata on her test and Sandor has the kumijo on his test, so they just fit together and can learn what they need to learn with each other. This Wednesday, the 5th, the Community Education Iaido Class will end. I will give out completion certificates for the students. Most have gotten up to the 10th Aiki Toho Iaido kata. I think they have done really well in just 6 weeks. I am very pleased with their progress. Saturday Nov. 24th. With the party today we had 23 kids and 5 adults on the mats, total 28. I managed to test three white belts for their yellow belts and they all passed, so we traded up to yellow belts at the end of class. Also I signed and stamped Blackbelt certificates for Shaun and Keith after the party. So it was like a double party today. End of a great week! I started a Zen & Iaido class with the Santa Fe College Community Education the end of October. I have 5 new students now practicing Iaido I think they are enjoying what I have been teaching them. We are up to the 9th Aiki-Toho Iaido kata. That is the first one of the spinning chiburi katas. Each kata has become a bit more difficult. They are doing pretty well. There are some things that need tweeking, but overall they are doing well after about 11 classes. Sensei's Keith and Shaun have collaborated and purchased a big woodblock stamp for the Dojo and name stamps. So now I can stamp the center of promotion certificates with a dojo stamp and a name stamp next to my signature. It gives the certificates a new cool Japanese style look. I emailed everybody last night about this and many showed up this morning with their certificates to have them stamped. So far I have done what has been brought in with the full ink. In looking them over, I think from now on, I will blot some of the ink off and stamp them with less ink, so it looks like a shadow, leaving the information easier to read. The Kids class starts at 2pm until 3:30, then the Teens time starts at 3:30 and goes till 5pm. These times are not hard/fast. If someone needs to come at an earlier or later time I will accommodate what ever you need to do. The times are more to keep the sizes of the students about the same. I am teaching on Wednesdays at the Queen of Peace Academy until December. This means the dojo will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So I will for be open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays afternoons. I will put these on a Google calendar. The senior Kids students are not asking to play games at the beginning of class anymore. They now realize that the Aikido is the "play" and they have graduated to a higher level of play. I'm hearing "I love this technique." or "This is my favorite Bo kata". And just a few months ago the statements were "This is hard." Now it has become "This is fun." I have decided to offer extra discounts of extra classes for parents or students who help clean the dojo while their kids or teens are in class. I'm swamped so much of the time with keeping track of the dojo financially, keeping up the websites, doing maintenance, processing new videos and such that the cleaning is not up to snuff. I think this can work out as a win-win for the dojo and the parents. The Aikido of Gainesville Dojo will be closed on Tuesdays during the day. I might be there to do maintenance, but I will not be teaching on Tuesdays. There will regularly be a Free Community Service Aikido Class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8pm. Tuesday Evening practices may not always be open. Please call ahead of time to determine if there will be a class that evening. Call first Jun Evangelista 352-222-0872. If no answer or Jun is not teaching, call Keith McInnis 352-258-4725. |
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The primary question: What constitutes a good dojo? How do you recognize a good dojo?
1. The Sensei (instructor) is knowledgeable, helpful and safe. 2. The techniques work and can be powerful, but don't always need to be powerful. 3. The senior students look out for and help the junior students and keep things safe. 4. Everybody is learning a lot and having fun. |
There are Dojos that stand a lot on visual image and ritual because they can't stand on knowledge and there are Dojos that forego a lot of ritual and may not look like much but they have an abundance of knowledge. We are in the latter group.
TEST US! There is an overwhelming abundance of knowledge here.
TEST US! There is an overwhelming abundance of knowledge here.
To see and learn more about the dojo, go across the top menu to "About". On the drop down menu click on "Location". On that page there are 10 videos showing the dojo with explanations of what I have on the walls.
Under the videos menu I have added instructional videos for both Iwama Style and Nishio Style. I will begin showing how I teach the techniques, as time allows. You may find them very informative.
If you want to get in contact with me, email; sensei@aikidoofgainesville.com or 352-494-7816.
Under the videos menu I have added instructional videos for both Iwama Style and Nishio Style. I will begin showing how I teach the techniques, as time allows. You may find them very informative.
If you want to get in contact with me, email; sensei@aikidoofgainesville.com or 352-494-7816.
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The more time spent in class becomes more learned which means the faster the advancement.
Free Saturday classes will remain in the mornings until further notice. Kids 9am to 10:30am and Teens 10:30am to Noon AOG web sites with information about Kids classes are; Aikido Kids of Gainesville, Stop the Bully Using Aikido and Bully Defense Using Aikido These sites have more information about what to expect in Kids and Teens classes and Anti-Bully techniques. Thursday Free Class times are 6:30-8:00pm. There is now a weapons class from 8:05 to 9:00pm following the free class. |
The Nishio Sensei videos shown above here are advanced techniques. I start practically everybody in the Iwama Style to build knowledge and a foundation of basic techniques. After you have the knowledge to pass the third test, then you will better understand and appreciate the Nishio Style techniques which are strong and fast.
Calendar of all Aikido of Gainesville Events
Classes will be tracked by the use of a punch card. The number of classes purchased will be written on the punch card and when the number of punches are completed a new card may be purchased. There will be no time restrictions on the cards.