A Kid's Point of View

Sofia Roitman (New England Aikikai)

Aikido is a calm yet hard activity, enjoyed not only by adults, but by kids too! At the New England Aikikai dojo in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Drake, Alyssa, and John instruct the children's classes on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays. The ages of kids range from four to thirteen, and the number of kids per class ranges from three to fifteen.

For this article, I interviewed a participant in an Aikido children's class named Federico Roitman, to get a better perspective as to why kids enjoy Aikido.

"I thought it would be fun, and I wanted to learn a martial art."

How did you find out about Aikido?
"My parents were looking for a martial art to get me involved in, and they suggested Aikido."

In a children's Aikido class, all kids are encouraged to concentrate, have fun, and do their best. All kids help and learn things from each other, no matter what kyu they are. In working with different partners, the kids become accustomed to different grabs, punches, and chops, which will make learning further on easier.

When asked what the usual activities performed in an Aikido children's class were, Federico responded, "We would get there, change, bow to the kamiza and get on the mat. Before class, we would all play around a bit, and when class starts, we'd sit in a line. Then, we'd bow to the kamiza and then to the sensei, and weĠd start the lesson."

The kids first do some warm-ups, like shiko (walking on their knees) and coho ukemi (back falls). Then, the sensei would show the kids a technique, explain how to do it, and the kids would break up into partners and start copying the technique. Nearing the end of the class, the kids and sensei play games. "We'd play blue cloth, in which you have to try to get other people's blue cloths (which are hanging from the back of their belts) without losing yours. There's also the People Catcher, where there's a bunch of belts tied together, and the senseis move it from one side of the mat to the other. You have to either do shiko, a forward roll, or a backwards roll so that you won't get caught."

Have you figured it out? Yes, during these games, the kids are still learning important Aikido skills while having a great time.