Safety in Training

Because Aikido is a martial art and the potential for minor injuries is real, the following guidelines ensure the safety and optimal training experience for all members:

• Respect the way in which the instructor of the class directs the training. Receive instruction and carry out suggestions for training sincerely and to the best of your ability. There is no room for argument on the mat. Ask questions when invited or after class.

• The strength of Aikido is not in muscular force, but in flexibility, timing, control and modesty. Be aware of your limitations.

• Everyone has different physical abilities and reasons for study. These must be respected. True Aikido is the proper and flexible application of technique appropriate to any changing physical interaction. It is your responsibility to cause no injury to your training partner or yourself.

• It is the moral responsibility of each student never to use Aikido technique to harm another person or as a way to display his or her ego. Aikido is a tool to develop a better society through the character development of the individual.

• There is no competition on the mat. The purpose of Aikido is not to fight and defeat an enemy, but to fight and defeat your own aggressive instincts.

• There will be no conflicts of ego on the mat. Aikido is not street fighting. You are on the mat to train and purify your aggressive reactions and embody the spirit of the samurai by discovering your social responsibility.

• There will be no power struggles within the dojo. The dojo membership is one family and the secret of Aikido is harmony.