Welcome to Aikido in
Reading, Berkshire, at the White Oak Dojo, where we've been offering high quality martial arts training in Reading and the surrounding area since 1991. We run courses in the basics of Aikido to provide beginners
(aged 18+) with a structured introduction to
this exciting martial art at Reading YMCA and at the Caversham Heights Methodist Church Hall in Caversham to the north of Reading. We have a team of highly skilled and qualified male and female instructors with over 85 years' experience of training in and teaching Aikido, so you can be sure that your martial arts training will be of the highest calibre. Below, you'll find more information about what is Aikido, the benefits of Aikido and our Aikido lineage and affiliation.
You're always welcome
to come and watch one of our Aikido classes and
talk to us before
your first actual training session, which is
free, so you have a good opportunity to see if you'll enjoy Aikido, whether
it's the martial art for you and whether you like the classes before committing to
anything. You can also come to any of our training sessions for a free taster Aikido class. Martial arts training at White Oak Aikido is open to anyone over the age of 18 and we have no upper age limit.
Experienced Aikido practitioners can also join or
visit us, but please contact us in advance. We also run classes at Reading
University Aikido Club, probably the longest running martial arts club at the University of Reading, which operates during term
times, offering Aikido training for Reading
University students and staff only.
What is Aikido?
Aikido is a fascinating and engrossing,
traditional Japanese martial art, a way of self-defence, that uses an attacker's strength, momentum
and aggression against themselves in order to
resolve a conflict. Historically, the techniques of Aikido
originate from the throws, joint locks, sword and
staff techniques of the samurai warrior. Aikido training will help you to optimise how you move your
body to maximise your efficiency and
power, developing a deep kinaesthetic
understanding of how your body works and how this
power can be used most effectively.
Aikido is a
martial art that doesn't rely on you being stronger, fitter or faster
than an attacker, so
it can become a lifelong study. You'll find that Aikido is a very
flexible martial art, where you learn to use a level
of response appropriate to the situation.
Emphasis in your Aikido training is placed on evading,
absorbing and redirecting an attack, rather than
trying to block a potentially superior force. Aikido classes will teach you the
importance of achieving mental calm and control
of your own body in order to deal with an
opponent's attack effectively and, whenever possible, without causing unnecessary
harm. At one extreme, a form of Aikido is used
by the Tokyo riot police, but unlike some other
martial arts, the ultimate aim of modern Aikido
is to control, rather than to maim or kill an
opponent. Check out our tips on finding the best martial art for you.
Benefits of
Aikido
Aikido is a dynamic,
expansive martial art, in which
you'll develop fitness, suppleness, good posture and
co-ordination. Your self confidence will also increase as you train in Aikido and, as your co-ordination and
balance improve, you'll work on being more present in
your body and on occupying your personal space.
Aikido training helps you to identify your boundaries and
gives you the skills to defend them. As you train in Aikido and gain confidence in your skills, you'll be able to move away from adrenaline
fuelled 'flight or fight' reactions and instead
choose to respond in a manner most appropriate to the
situation. The same Aikido approach can be
extended to non-physical conflict resolution.
Modern living tends to make
us wary of physical contact. Aikido training will help you
to work in close contact with another person in
scenarios where physical contact is at its most
threatening. Aikido classes offer you
the opportunity to express yourself freely
through movement. The absence of physical and mental tension and
resistance, which we emphasise in our Aikido classes, can help you to release any ingrained
constraints in your body and your movement, that
could give rise to frustrations, energy blockages and
illnesses. Aikido can help you to face any fear
of confrontation you may have and to learn a new way of
resolving conflict. Training in Aikido will develop your physical
relaxation, mental calmness and awareness, so you can respond freely to what
occurs. Regular training in Aikido helps you to become centred and grounded and,
therefore, better able to deal with the stresses of
daily life.
White Oak Aikido Reading - Lineage and
Affiliation
White Oak
Aikido in Reading was founded in 1991, based at the YMCA,
Parkside Road, Reading Berkshire, and
carries on an Aikido tradition in Reading
which was first established in 1969 at our
sister Aikido club at Reading
University, under the auspices of
Haydn
Foster Sensei (7th Dan), one of the great
pioneers of Aikido in the UK in the 1950s. Our senior
instructor was a direct student of Haydn Foster
Sensei for many years and all our instructors
are recognised as coaches by the British Aikido
Board, the national governing body for Aikido in
the UK. We teach a traditional style of Aikido
incorporating empty-handed
techniques, the bokken and the jo - take a look at our vision here.
To find out more about getting
involved in the martial art of Aikido in Reading:
to Aikido in
Reading, Berkshire, at the White Oak Dojo, where we've been offering high quality martial arts training in Reading and the surrounding area since 1991. We run courses in the basics of Aikido to provide 
is a fascinating and engrossing,
traditional Japanese martial art, a way of self-defence, that uses an attacker's strength, momentum
and aggression against themselves in order to
resolve a conflict. Historically, the techniques of Aikido
originate from the throws, joint locks, sword and
staff techniques of the samurai warrior. Aikido training will help you to optimise how you move your
body to maximise your efficiency and
power, developing a deep kinaesthetic
understanding of how your body works and how this
power can be used most effectively.
Aikido is a dynamic,
expansive martial art, in which
you'll develop fitness, suppleness, good posture and
co-ordination. Your self confidence will also increase as you train in Aikido and, as your co-ordination and
balance improve, you'll work on being more present in
your body and on occupying your personal space.
Aikido training helps you to identify your boundaries and
gives you the skills to defend them. As you train in Aikido and gain confidence in your skills, you'll be able to move away from adrenaline
fuelled 'flight or fight' reactions and instead
choose to respond in a manner most appropriate to the
situation. The same Aikido approach can be
extended to non-physical conflict resolution. 
White Oak
Aikido in Reading was founded in 1991, based at the 
