Jen:

Martial Arts - Aikido

I loved this club. I respected everyone in the club because they all took it very seriously. The movements are very precise and well-defined. Each class is taught the same way, with warmups first, including rolls, then basics, then partner work. I just loved the perfection of it.

I tested for and received the rank of 8th kyu in this school. It is a beautiful certificate with Japanese calligraphy and interesting stamps. At 8th kyu, I had only learned three partner techniques, but I had learned those very well. I really liked that, as well, about the school, because they were more concerned about ensuring that everyone learned a few movements really well, rather than a lot of movements kind of well.

I would definitely have continued studying aikido with the MSU Aikido Club if I hadn't moved away from the area. I looked for another aikido school down here in Dayton, but no school that I found could match the precision and perfection that I had learned to expect from aikido, so I began studying Shorin-Ryu instead. I had missed the hard style motions, anyway, so it was good to go back.