# Looking to Start.



## Yamin (Jul 10, 2012)

Hello all, i practiced judo at school about 15 years ago and have wanted to take up a new martial art for a few years now, i have found an aikido club in a local gym and have read up a bit on aikido and it seems like a martial art i will enjoy, my only hesitation is the class is only once a week. Is training once a week in aikido enough? I'm in no rush but want to feel i am making a steady progress and a 90 minute/ 2hour lesson every 7 days seems too little. From what i can see from my very limited perspective on aikido is alot of the moves are very natural and reactionary so i would've thought getting as much practice in is essential?
Any thoughts/advice is much appreciated, hope the post is easy to understand i tend to ramble!

Regards


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## dancingalone (Jul 10, 2012)

The more practice the better generally as long as your body and mind can hold up to it.  For a beginner, even one with judo experience, I would like to see them get at least 3-4 hours of quality mat time with supervision and corrections from a qualified instructor.

If the class is only once a week, you might inquire whether any of the senior students get together for supplementary practice.  If so, try gently to get an invitation to join.


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## Yamin (Jul 11, 2012)

Thankyou for the reply, so in your opinion once a week for 90 mins - 2 hours is not enough?  If that is the case is there any other martial art that compliments aikido?


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## ballen0351 (Jul 11, 2012)

Yamin said:


> Thankyou for the reply, so in your opinion once a week for 90 mins - 2 hours is not enough?  If that is the case is there any other martial art that compliments aikido?



More is always better but some is better then none.  I'd start once a week and as younger to know people see if any are willing to train with you on other days


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## ballen0351 (Jul 12, 2012)

It was supposed to say as you get to know people not as younger stupid auto correct


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## SuperFLY (Jul 12, 2012)

i only train aikido once a week and im certainly progressing steadily. obviously training more would offer quicker progress but as long as you can keep the techniques/tips in your head you'll improve.


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## Jenna (Jul 12, 2012)

Yamin said:


> Hello all, i practiced judo at school about 15 years ago and have wanted to take up a new martial art for a few years now, i have found an aikido club in a local gym and have read up a bit on aikido and it seems like a martial art i will enjoy, my only hesitation is the class is only once a week. Is training once a week in aikido enough? I'm in no rush but want to feel i am making a steady progress and a 90 minute/ 2hour lesson every 7 days seems too little. From what i can see from my very limited perspective on aikido is alot of the moves are very natural and reactionary so i would've thought getting as much practice in is essential?
> Any thoughts/advice is much appreciated, hope the post is easy to understand i tend to ramble!
> 
> Regards


Perhaps the techniques will feel natural to you if you are from a Judo background.. Still the one is not the other as I am sure you are aware  while certain movements will easily translate, certain others will not and so you will need every bit as much practice as you needed for Judo.. I am not sure that 90 minutes is too little or too much.. You think it is too little what of the other class participants?  I think it is dependent upon your own needs for how quickly is quick and what it is you wish to achieve.. Have you checked grading timescales in the class syllabus? Perhaps this will give you an idea of what to expect @90min per week  I wish you well though and you are exactly right to ask these questions now, and I also wish you well with making use of the answers  J


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## dancingalone (Jul 13, 2012)

Yamin said:


> Thankyou for the reply, so in your opinion once a week for 90 mins - 2 hours is not enough?  If that is the case is there any other martial art that compliments aikido?



I wouldn't add another MA into the equation.  That seems confusing to me.  Really in any MA, you need a lot of GOOD repetition to engrain correct muscle memory and feeling into your body when you are at the foundational level.  

I would seek as much supervised practice with others as you can get.  A single session a week is kinda tough to gather continuity with, and I would prefer 2 1-hr sessions a week over only 1 2-hr class.  Obviously, if this is a definitive restraint for you, you must work with what you have.

Good luck with your training!


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