The purpose of Aikido training is not perfection of a martial skill, but rather the improvement of one's character.

The objective of Aikido is not necessarily to defend yourself or to hurt attackers, but ultimately to contribute to the making of a better society through the united training of body, mind and spirit. The developer of Aikido spent decades spreading this message of peace through the art of Aikido.

Being a martial art, people are often surprised, even perplexed to learn that Aikido means "the way of harmony." "Ki" (pronounced 'key') is the Eastern philosophical concept of the universal creative principle of life - the life force or breath. Ki is at the heart of Aikido - both in concept and in word. When the word is broken down into syllables it reads Ai-Ki-Do.

Literally, Aikido translates as "the way of harmony with Ki." Aikido seeks to unite this Ki of the Universe with the Ki found within each person. The Founder of Aikido believed that a person was at their highest level of self-actualization when univeral ki and one's personal ki were aligned. Use of the word "ki" or spirit in a Japanese context doesn't necessarily imply that of a religious connotation. Rather, it recognizes the inherent energy found in all living and non-living things... all matter and non-matter, that is.

********
One Aikido student referred to Castle Rock Aikido as a "playground for adults". Others say they like the stress relief and increased flexibility it gives. Another aikido student even lost 35 pounds after joining Castle Rock Aikido. We invite you to come try a free class to see how Aikido might impact your life and lead you to the "way of harmony". Visit www.craikido.com to get your coupon to try a class for free. We also welcome people to come watch a class anytime.

Our classes are for adults only. We have a nice balance between men and women and half of our students are over the age of 40.