Welcome to the Kokoro Dojo. We are very pleased to introduce you in the martial art world of Aikido. Aikido is not a sport. It is a discipline, an educational process for training the mind, body and spirit. An Aikido dojo is not a gymnasium. It is the place where the way of the discipline is revealed.
Physical technique is not the final objective, but a tool for personal refinement and spiritual growth. The correct attitude of respect, sincerity and modesty, and the proper atmosphere are essential to the learning process. And as Aikido is a martial way, they are essential to the safety of each individual. The following rules are necessary to the maintenance of this atmosphere and vital to your study of Aikido.
We kindly ask you to read the following rules applied in Kokoro Dojo and to get acquainted to them. We understand that at the beginning many of those aspects will be new, and it may take some time to become familiar to those principles and be able to actively demonstrate them in the Dojo. It is however important to understand that each of those rules have a specific reason behind, mostly directed to ensure a safe, harmonious and joyful training atmosphere.