Sounds great!
Yes, I know it's tough to get proper striking training from aikido schools, as it was not formalized as part of the curriculum/training objectives. Same with sparring, which was often done informally by first generations of practitioners (under judo/sumo rules) but was actively discouraged when the Aikikai enshrined "non competition" as a central principle of the art. Actually, few of Morihei Ueshiba's students already knew how to fight, but without a doubt, at the time, fighting was much more encouraged than for later generations.