Aikido of Gainesville
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The times for the Kids and Teens Classes are changing. On August 13th the schools reopen, so the Kids class will start at 2pm until 3:30, then the Teens time will start at 3:30 and go 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 will be teaching many Wednesdays at the Queen of Peace Academy again this fall. I don't have all the dates yet including the start and end dates. This means the dojo will be closed on Tuesdays and most Wednesdays. So I will be open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays afternoons.
I will put these on a Google calendar.
We now have 4 Green with Black tape and one brown belt in the Kids / Teens classes. They all have a solid foundation in the Iwama Style Aikido and enough experience to be able to comprehend more complex stuff. So now I will begin to teach them some Nishio Style techniques. If I had started out with Nishio Style, I think they would have been gone in a minute. No doubt it is more elegant, ultimately quicker, yet retaining very good power. I call it the Nishio Cathedral. So now I can take them inside to experience for themselves and allow them to begin to build their own Aikido cathedrals.
We have two more Green with Black stripe today, August 4th. Joy and Martin passed their tests Saturday 4, August. They passed with mistakes so Triangle grade. I have begun stressing that just because they have gotten the stripe for a technique, it does not mean they are proficient enough for the test. There should be more practice involved to refine techniques and get ready for the test. I have to admit that they have done a lot of cramming practice to get ready for this test. But I don't believe the cramming type practice is what stays with you later on. So this may be a shallow test and they will need to relearn the techniques again later. Not so good. Nevertheless, I'm still proud of them.
Lia passed her 4th test to get a Blue belt Monday, July 30th. She still had some mistakes, but they were not egregious. She knew what she was doing. The mistakes were more of placement which makes the techniques easier or more difficult to execute. She will see these techniques over and over with different attacks, so what ever mistakes she had, they will be fixed. So she passed with mistakes, a triangle grade.
Judith passed her 7th test Thursday, July 26th. I was thinking she would need more time to get ready, but she has buckled down this past week. Dad has been a serious drill master. She came in Thursday evening ready. She was going right through so many techniques just straight through with very few repeats. I'm giving her a "Circle" grade. Triangle is pass with mistakes, but there is so much on the test and she made so few mistakes that I'm giving her the best grade cause if we used the A, B, C, D, F grade system she would have been a low A or perhaps an A minus, so I'm calling it a "circle" ( best level) in the Nishio Style form of grading. (It may be the Aikikai's way. I'm not sure cause the only times I saw it used was by Nishio Sensei.)
The new fan motor is terriffic! With the fans facing inward and moving so much volume of air, it's rolling the air around all over the place making it reasonably comfortable despite whatever the temperature is and where ever you are in the dojo.
The times for the Kids and Teens classes will flip back to afternoons when the schools reopen on August 13th.
It occurred to me that the senior Kids students are not asking to play games at the beginning of class anymore. They come in the door and want to start right into regular practice right away. For one thing, their techniques are becoming more complex. Which means they have to focus more to understand and advance. But it may be that they have started to realize that the Aikido is the "play" and they have graduated to a higher level of play. I'm starting to hear "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's becoming "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.
I will put these on a Google calendar.
We now have 4 Green with Black tape and one brown belt in the Kids / Teens classes. They all have a solid foundation in the Iwama Style Aikido and enough experience to be able to comprehend more complex stuff. So now I will begin to teach them some Nishio Style techniques. If I had started out with Nishio Style, I think they would have been gone in a minute. No doubt it is more elegant, ultimately quicker, yet retaining very good power. I call it the Nishio Cathedral. So now I can take them inside to experience for themselves and allow them to begin to build their own Aikido cathedrals.
We have two more Green with Black stripe today, August 4th. Joy and Martin passed their tests Saturday 4, August. They passed with mistakes so Triangle grade. I have begun stressing that just because they have gotten the stripe for a technique, it does not mean they are proficient enough for the test. There should be more practice involved to refine techniques and get ready for the test. I have to admit that they have done a lot of cramming practice to get ready for this test. But I don't believe the cramming type practice is what stays with you later on. So this may be a shallow test and they will need to relearn the techniques again later. Not so good. Nevertheless, I'm still proud of them.
Lia passed her 4th test to get a Blue belt Monday, July 30th. She still had some mistakes, but they were not egregious. She knew what she was doing. The mistakes were more of placement which makes the techniques easier or more difficult to execute. She will see these techniques over and over with different attacks, so what ever mistakes she had, they will be fixed. So she passed with mistakes, a triangle grade.
Judith passed her 7th test Thursday, July 26th. I was thinking she would need more time to get ready, but she has buckled down this past week. Dad has been a serious drill master. She came in Thursday evening ready. She was going right through so many techniques just straight through with very few repeats. I'm giving her a "Circle" grade. Triangle is pass with mistakes, but there is so much on the test and she made so few mistakes that I'm giving her the best grade cause if we used the A, B, C, D, F grade system she would have been a low A or perhaps an A minus, so I'm calling it a "circle" ( best level) in the Nishio Style form of grading. (It may be the Aikikai's way. I'm not sure cause the only times I saw it used was by Nishio Sensei.)
The new fan motor is terriffic! With the fans facing inward and moving so much volume of air, it's rolling the air around all over the place making it reasonably comfortable despite whatever the temperature is and where ever you are in the dojo.
The times for the Kids and Teens classes will flip back to afternoons when the schools reopen on August 13th.
It occurred to me that the senior Kids students are not asking to play games at the beginning of class anymore. They come in the door and want to start right into regular practice right away. For one thing, their techniques are becoming more complex. Which means they have to focus more to understand and advance. But it may be that they have started to realize that the Aikido is the "play" and they have graduated to a higher level of play. I'm starting to hear "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's becoming "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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Beginning June 4th Aikido for Kids will start Mon, Wed, Thu & Fri at 9:00am to 10:30am. Aikido for Teens start Mon, Wed, Thu & Fri at 10:30am to Noon. If you desire to come for the whole time in the morning I'm OK with that too. 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.