Our Relationship
When you join the dojo you fill out an application and legal waiver. This defines a small part of your relationship with the dojo. Most of that relationship (like most of the art) is learned in silence, without explicit verbalization. Please learn to utilize the dojo well. Let it be a garden in which you can grow. Simple considerations will enhance your relationship with the dojo beautifully.
Mark your attendance each time you enter the dojo, before changing into your practice clothes and getting onto the mat. You become eligible to be tested for advancement in grade after a fixed number of training days: examination requirements are posted at the dojo. Higher grades make more diverse training available to you, in this and in other dojos throughout the world.
A dojo is more than a physical space. It is a family of people. You are now a member of this family, and a very large family of aikido people all over the world. There are approximately 8000 aikidoka in Northern California alone.
The dojo exists so we may train ourselves well, and its quality depends on all of us. Please make yourself available for help in the dojo when needed, pay your dues on time, and support the atmosphere in which you are growing. Dues need to be paid in full regardless of the number of times you train during the month. Unlike a spa, gym, or most other public places, the dojo is an extension of our creativity and willingness to generate peace in our lives. Your support of the dojo is your support of an idea.
