Where are you located?
At Arlington Fitness, 11925 Hwy 70 in Arlington, TN.
Do I need to be a member of Arlington Fitness to practice with you?
No; If you are looking for a CrossFit gym we certainly recommend Arlington Fitness, but you don’t need to use the rest of the gym to join Aikido classes.
Do I need to have a martial arts background to learn aikido?
Not at all; everyone is a beginner sometime.
Is aikido useful in a fight?
Aikido is useful for avoiding fights. The art focuses on blending with, defusing, and redirecting attacks.
Yeah, but is aikido good for self-defense?
Aikido is good for many aspects of self defense, including defense from armed and unarmed attacks. It is also useful for building awareness, confidence, and calmness. Also, aikido practitioners learn to fall—and that can be extremely useful. All of those things count as self-defense.
Is aikido good exercise?
Yes, especially as a form of cross-training.
I’m worried about coming to class. Won’t everyone else know more, be older, younger, more fit, etc.?
Sure–everyone is different. In aikido those differences help us learn. Beginners are always welcome. There is no “wrong” body type for aikido.
I have an injury/previous trauma/medical condition. Can I still do aikido?
You should always check with your healthcare professionals before starting something like aikido. You should also talk to Sensei Maclin. Many of the techniques of aikido can be adapted to work around injuries and trauma.
If there are no competitions in aikido, how do you know who is best?
Sometimes we use the phrase masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝), which translates loosely as “true victory is victory over one’s self.” Aikido isn’t about beating others–it is about improving our own mind/body awareness in the process of practice.
OK, how much does it cost?
Right now, membership is $70/month for people ages 13 to 100+. That gets you up to two classes per week. The schedule will change from time to time, and will be posted here. There is also a $30 annual fee to the Aikido World Alliance (payable in January or with your first belt test) to get and keep membership in the national organization. And, there are small testing fees ($25 per test before black belt level). It is a good deal, and we try not to hide costs.
Is there a waiver and/or registration form?
Yes, and it is online.
How long will it take me to get my black belt?
At a minimum, 6 – 7 years—if you practice consistently. Longer if you take a break or two. Also, it is best for training purposes to focus on the “now” and let the future come as it will.
In terms of progress, we use a kyu/dan ranking system with colored belts for kyu ranks (white, yellow, blue, brown) and black belts for dan ranks (1st degree black belt and up.)
What should I wear?
If you are just trying things out, sweatpants and a t-shirt are fine. If you plan on training regularly, you should purchase a white cotton gi (training uniform). These come in many weights and price ranges—and anything but the lightest cotton will generally work. Talk to Sensei Maclin, and he can point you in the right direction. Black belt level students add a dark-colored hakama (a divided skirt/wide legged pants) over the gi bottoms.
Why moerushin?
Moerushin means “burning heart” and is the official dojo name. If you like, you can call us “Arlington Aikido,” or “aikido at Arlington Fitness.”