Yes, we are looking forward to practising with you any time! The free and non-binding trial phase includes up to three classes.

And yes, you are still young enough to start learning Aikido. We admit from age 14, and there is no upper limit.

Lessons are taught in German and English.

Arrange your trial phase

To join the trial class, you don’t have to be particularly fit, and you don’t need any previous experience in a martial art. It’s enough if you are curious and open-minded, and if you enjoy physical exercise and training in groups.

Please read all the information on this page, especially our answers to frequently asked questions below. Then drop us a message to let us know on what days you want to attend the classes. Please keep these appointments, we will cater especially for you.

Each class is a self-contained unit with a short break after the first hour.

PS: Aikido is a "just do it" art: if you "only want to watch", then watch our videos.

Checklist for your first class

  • Come in comfortable sportswear (long track-suit trousers, t-shirt).
  • Please bring slippers and something to drink.
  • We practise barefoot.
  • Please arrive 15 minutes early, so you have enough time to change and help us set up the mats.

Time requirements for Aikido

Participate in a trial class if you can imagine to afterwards train once or twice every week, and if you can make room for this in your diary (see our training schedule link below).

Should you only have time for regular practice at a later date, please choose a trial class close to that date.

After the trial phase

  • The membership fee at TW Weisskirchen sports club covers all classes and is 132 EUR per calendar year, plus a one-time sign-up fee of 12 EUR.
  • IMPORTANT: download both these forms, sign them and bring them to class.
  • Also bring 15 EUR in cash for the dojo starter kit.
  • Buy an aikido uniform.

For further details visit our training schedule, location and terms & conditions pages.

General Health & Hygiene Rules

Please follow these rules to ensure an enjoyable and safe practice environment:

  • Shower or wash before class, in particular armpits and feet; remove makeup
  • Always wear a freshly washed gi
  • Remove your wristwatch and jewellery (rings, necklaces, earrings, etc.)
  • Keep your finger and toe nails short
  • Do not drink alcohol before class
  • Give yourself enough time after larger meals before you enter the mats, and avoid garlic-flavoured foods
  • Should you need to catch your breath, inform your partner and take a rest by kneeling at the edge of the tatami.
  • Should you feel that you cannot continue practising, let the teacher know before you leave the mat.
  • Sneeze or cough into the inside of your keikogi, or use a handkerchief
  • Do not touch your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands
  • If you have cold symptoms: stay at home or leave the training immediately.

Q: What is that funny skirt that some Aikido people are wearing?
A: This divided skirt is a traditional Japanese piece of clothing, called the hakama. Most people in the Western world consider it as a part of the samurai outfit, though it is widely used in the Japanese society. In Aikido, the hakama is worn by advanced practitioners.

Q: What is that picture and why does everybody bow to it?
A: The picture marks the position of the shomen, the place of focus (literally "the front side"). In Aikido it is used as a reference for bowing and meditation. The picture is usually an image of Aikido’s founder O-Sensei Ueshiba Morihei or a calligraphy, and the bow signifies the acceptance of the Aikido principles. In our culture it is neither part of a personality cult nor a sign of subordination or an act of religious worship.

Q: What about the weapons?
A: Aikido techniques are empty-handed techniques. But because many of the movements were originally developed from sword and staff fighting, we also train basic weapon techniques to work on aspects of posture, distance and timing. The most common weapons used are the bokken (wooden sword), jo (staff) and tanto (wooden knife).

Q: When do I get to fight?
A: In Aikido there are no competitions. Our aim is to continuously improve our skills and personality through exchange with other practitioners. Of course we need an attacker for training purposes (ideally a challenging one!), so there is no lack of action. However, Aikido does not prepare you for street fights.

Q: Can I get hurt?
A: Aikido teaches how to redirect and neutralise the power of an attack. You will not learn a single technique that aims at hurting your partner. Therefore accidents are very uncommon. Because the training is good for your health, most aikidoka continue to practise up until old age.

Q: How often should I train?
A: We recommend that you attend at least two classes per week at the beginning so that you can make progress as quickly as possible. Most advanced practitioners practise three to four times a week - then Aikido can fully unfold its positive influence on your life.

Q: Can Aikido replace fitness training?
A: That depends on your personal goals. Although training gets your circulation going and your general mobility will increase significantly, it would still be a good idea to plan any demanding endurance and strength training separately. As do we.

Q: Isn’t martial arts just for men?
A: Aikido is equally suitable for all genders because it does not depend on strength, size or weight. At our dojo, it is important to us that we educate a generation of aikidoka who are equal at all levels of aikido practice, as training participants and teachers.

Q: How long until I become a master?
A: Aikido is a lifelong journey, a path to explore, which offers many epiphanies ("satori"), the building blocks of mastership. Generally, we consider the black belt exam as the beginning of a journey to master the art. If you practise very regularly, there is a good chance to obtain your black belt after about 5-6 years. This sounds like a lot fo time, but don’t worry: it will be a fun ride from the start.

You may find more information about Aikido in our dojo handbook.

In Aikido, etiquette is taken very seriously. The reason is that we do not consider it simply a formality, but we appreciate the meaning behind it. You are not following etiquette to please your partner or teacher, but for yourself.

Bows are a visual sign of etiquette:

  • when entering the tatami (usually from a kneeling position): leave your daily routine behind, open your mind to Aikido practice and enter a state of inner calmness. Bow to the shomen, and afterwards to the other participants on the mat.
  • at the beginning of keiko to the shomen: acknowledge the Aikido principles, promise yourself to practise attentively, confirm your readiness
  • before each exercise to the teacher or partner (mutually): thank your teacher/partner for accepting you, promise to carry out the technique attentively and with your partner’s well-being in mind
  • after each exercise (mutually): thank your teacher/partner for what you have learned from him or her
  • at the end of keiko to the shomen: conclude the class in your mind, become calm
  • when leaving the tatami (usually from a kneeling position): express gratefulness for your experience, make the transition in your mind to step back into the outside world

Please bow towards the shomen right after you stepped over the threshold of the dojo’s entrance; bow out before you leave.

All bows are carried out calmly and consciously; the bow on entering and leaving the mats should last a little longer (take a deep breath and exhale slowly).

We practise at close proximity in a confined space, so please come in clean clothes and avoid strong smells. Follow the health and hygiene guideline above.

Be on time. Try to arrive at the dojo a quarter of an hour before keiko begins. Should you be late, wait outside the tatami until the teacher gives you a sign to step on. If you need to leave the tatami, inform the teacher first.

Be quiet, attentive and respectful throughout class. When not busy with an exercise, kneel on the tatami (or sit cross-legged if you have knee issues). Keep an upright position - remember: your posture mirrors your mind.

In Aikido, we are on first-name terms. Only Japanese teachers are addressed as "sensei". In our dojo, teachers are always addressed by first names, independent of their rank.

You will find more information about etiquette in our dojo handbook.

During class we use many Japanese words. You will find an extensive list of these terms in our glossary. Below we explain the most common ones:

  • Aikido = the way (do) to harmonise (ai) the partners' energy (ki)
  • Dojo = place of practice (room or house)
  • Tatami = mat
  • Shomen = front of the dojo, focus point (with picture); sometimes also called "kamiza"
  • Keiko = class, training
  • Onegai shimasu = a polite mutual "welcome" at the beginning of class; pronounced „onney-guy she-muss“
  • Arigato gozaimashita = a polite mutual "thank you" at the end of class; pronounced „arigato gosai-mashta“
  • Dozo! = please! (asking to start or continue something)
  • Yame! = please stop! (prompt to stop current exercise)
  • Owari masho! = let us finish! (prompt to finish class)
  • Hai! = yes, OK, understood; here! (in reply to being called up)
  • Uke = partner who is thrown or pinned down (attacker)
  • Tori = partner who carries out the technique (defender); called "nage" in other dojos ("the one who throws")

Aikido Oberursel
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Internationally educated instructors. Personal supervision. Free trial lesson. — Only 20 mins from Frankfurt.