Kids' Program

The Cleveland Aikikai Children's Aikido Program focuses on kids using their heads when in a conflict. We do not teach how to unnecessarily maim or destroy others. While conflict is regrettably unavoidable at times, we teach kids to respond to threats using only the minimal force needed to protect themselves. We do not raise bullies. Aikido is fundamentally a forgiving art. Aikido practitioners do not seek conflict as a test of manhood. Rather, Aikido practitioners seek to learn martial science, and accept the responsibility of trying to not hurt others.

For kids who have had some negative experiences with other martial arts, we would like to extend an invitation to you to come visit our school. You may find that we are different than what you know.

For you kids who have never tried martial arts before, we only advise you to make sure that whatever you do, you have fun! We also extend to you, the new martial artist, an invitation to come and see for yourself what we have to offer. Our school has no secrets. Our school's front is all windows. We have no secret "ninja" techniques, "death touches" or levitating students. We teach what is real. Martial science is the way to make your body work better for you, more efficiently in a self-defense setting. To that science, we add the principles of Aikido...self-improvement, peace, compassion and bravery.

We know that you may be uncomfortable with the idea of trying something new. All of us were new when we started. We embrace the new student, as you are the most important person in the school. Our class schedule contains all of the kids in one class. We do not separate students. We also have no "sessions" in the typical sense. Instead, kids enroll on a continual basis. In that way, the new person is surrounded by other kids who have been around a while, and can help you learn faster.

To the parents:

We tailor Aikido technique with an emphasis on kids' self-defense, and the limits of their smaller bodies. Our three head kids' class instructors have a combined twenty seven years of Aikido experience, with rank given by the World Headquarters. We are not a rogue school. Other schools may say that they teach Aikido. We actually do. Our instructors, and the several other adult senior students who help us teach, are not paid. We are a not for profit school. We teach because we love to teach. We all feel the responsibility of providing quality instruction, and the fact that we put out for our students is proved by our over twenty seven years in operation.