Mission Statement
The mission of TAMU Aikido is to provide a safe and controlled atmosphere for university students, staff and faculty to learn and practice Aikido. Providing high quality instruction in Aikido by qualified teachers is a primary aim of the organization. Aikido is a martial art that is a modern descendent of traditional Japanese Samurai arts. Its basic philosophy is to blend with the attack, employing an attacker’s energy in the process of neutralization. Aikido is revolutionary in many respects, being purely defensive, non-competitive, and based on an ethical aim– unique in the major martial arts– of protecting the attacker. Employing coordination rather than brute strength or size, Aikido is both an effective form of self-defense and a means of improving physical fitness for a broad range of individuals. It transcends the purely physical, providing mental and spiritual tools for developing the person as a whole. Aikido provides substantial benefits to practitioners in their personal and professional lives.
Aikido is about blending rather than struggling. It is a "discipline of coordination" that combines timing and technique, rather than brute strength and size, to find harmony in conflict. Aikido is highly effective as a form of self-defense for men, women and children of all shapes and sizes, and provides a great workout!
TAMU Aikido is the only club of its kind within about 75 miles of the Bryan/College-Station area, and features outstanding biweekly two-hour training sessions with Chief Instructor Michael Black Sensei. Black Sensei is affiliated with the Aikido Kobayashi Dojo of Japan and is Dojocho of The Aikido Center of The Woodlands.
Individuals of all levels, from beginner to advanced, may participate. A children's class is not yet available, but will be introduced in the not-too-distant future.
Membership fees are greatly discounted for the quality of instruction provided, with fees at an especially low rate for TAMU students, postdocs and research or teaching assistants.
How to Become A Member
- Show up to class! We would love to meet you, and your first week of class is free! This gives you an opportunity to see what aikido is all about, get to know some of our current members, and ask as many questions as you want.
- Once you have decided that TAMU Aikido is right for you, we will need you to fill out a few forms
- A liability waiver for Montoya's Shorin Kempo Karate Dojo (downlod pdf)
- A liability waiver for TAMU Aikido (download pdf)
- TAMU Aikido Registration Form (download pdf)
- Print and fill out the above forms and bring them to class, we will also at that time discuss pricing and payment options if this has not already been done.
- Come to class and begin your journey.
Please send us an email with further questions or just to introduce yourself
Human Readable: aikido [at] aikido [dot] tamu [dot] edu
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