Still Mind Aikido, Westchester NY

“I appreciated the class right away because as an educator I could see the sensei clearly had an understanding of children and their development. (Trying to fit youngsters into an adult model of "discipline" is just counderproductive, BTW! If you don't have developmentally appropriate learning you don't have anything.). My son on the other hand just felt relaxed and comfortable right away, and wanted to jump into the class. Two years later the class still stimulates and challenges him in a relaxed and supportive environment.”

“There is exercise before and after the class to warm up and focus energy. Fun games are used to train the children to be alert in all directions, to stop suddenly, to lower their center of gravity for stability, to develop strength and fitness, to cultivate spatial orientation, and so on, before and after class. The classes are small and the teacher and assistants work one-on-one with children to teach them the "moves." A lot of verbal direction is lost on under 8's, and the teacher's recognize this and teach more by example to the younger ones. However I've seen the teachers work well with children of all ages and levels, and are super encouraging, but not in a fake way. Children learn best when they are engaged and having fun. The focus is really on improvement and each child doing their best, not on achieving stripes or belts or certificates.”

“I have occasionally seen one or two fried older kids come into class at the end of the day and act out a little, but I've always been impressed with the Sensei's handling of the situation and the problem was soon resolved...”