Inland Empire Aikido: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is aikido?

A1: The exact English translation of the Japanese word "aikido" has been given several different ways, but generally it means "the way of harmony with energy." Aikido was developed as a martial art over the lifetime (mostly the early/mid-20th Century) by Morihei Ueshiba

Q2: What is "ki"?

A2: The difficulty in translating the word "aikido" comes directly from trying to deal with this middle syllable in English. It has been taken to mean "energy" which can further be interpreted as either basic physical force (kinetic energy, momentum) or in a more spiritual way as life-force, the universe, etc. In practice, the definition depends on what the individual practitioner is looking for in the art. In our school, no single definition is going to be forced on any student. If all you want is to roll and fall and throw, you can do that. If you want to expand your aikido to social or non-martial applications, that is in there as well.

Q3: How long will it take to get a black belt?

A3: The best answer is "as long as it takes." Students progress according to their ability and interest; no faster, no slower. However, realize that aikido has a reputation for being one of the more subtle martial arts to master and therefore may take slightly longer than other arts.

Q4: Do you use weapons in aikido?

A4: We have a series of katas for the jo (quarter-staff) and one (thus far) for the bokken (wooden sword). We also practice weapon defenses with the jo, against the jo, against the bokken, against the tanto (wooden knife) and against handguns. With Sensei Smith’s experience training peace-officers, these last two especially overlap somewhat with that curriculum.

Q5: Are there strikes in aikido?

A5: While openings for strikes (punches and kicks) will be developed and pointed out in the course of training, formal teaching of how to strike is not normally a part of our aikido classes. The karate classes (Saturdays 10-12) are obviously a different story.

Q6: Are there tournaments in aikido?

A6: There are some forms of aikido that hold competitive tournaments (most notably Tomiki Aikido), but ours is not one of them.

Q7: Do you have a children's class?

A7: According to the rules of the Canyon Crest Athletic Club, members must be 13 years old or above to enter the gym area. New students are all currently added to the main class after some basic instruction.

Q8: Do you have a colored-belt system?

A8: We have a six-level (kyu) ranking system below black belt (dan) level. They are--from lowest to highest--6th kyu and 5th kyu = blue belt; 4th kyu and 3rd kyu = purple belt; 2nd kyu and 1st kyu = brown belt. The next rank is shodan (first degree), at and above which all wear black belts.

Q9: What should I wear? Do I need to buy a gi?

A9: Comfortable workout attire will do fine. If you plan to stay in the art, a gi may be a wise investment. We recommend a double-knit judo gi as they are more resistant to tearing.

Q10: What's with the dresses?

A10: It isn’t a dress, it's called a "hakama." They were originally the outer clothing, a traditional Japanese pair of pants, meant to be worn over a gi. In our school, any student who has taken and passed their first test (6th kyu) is allowed to wear a hakama. Yes, OK, they look like skirts. But they make a really cool WHOOSH! sound when you roll.

Q11: At what level do I get to learn the magic no-touch ki throws I've seen?

A11: As soon as we find out the secret, we’ll be sure to pass it on.

Q12: Is it true that in aikido you can learn to kill someone with just a touch?

A12: Maybe. That would be very difficult to practice, however. And rest assured, we don't even try it.