Hakama
The hakama is the formal pleated skirtlike pants worn by advanced students. The hakama symbolizes the accomplishment of many hours and years of training, dedication, and discipline. It is a status symbol in some schools. Some schools allow women to wear the hakama out of modesty. This comes from traditional Japanese culture, and should not be considered politically incorrect or sexist. Some modern schools do not make this exception, however.
There is a ritual for folding your hakama when you are finished training. It provides a time to reflect on your training and your purpose for taking aikido.
You may have some difficulties getting dressed at first. With time, putting your uniform on will be a part of your ritual for preparing your body and your mind for training. Your uniform will become a statement of who you are and what you will become. Wear it proudly.
Equipment
Your school will provide most of the equipment needed to practice aikido. The most important is the mat on which you will train. The mat provides a safe place to fall and roll while practicing the basic techniques.
The only pieces of equipment that you will eventually have to buy are your weapons. Weapons training begins at various times for the beginner in aikido. There are three primary weapons used in aikido training: the jo, or wooden staff; the bokken, or wooden sword; and the tanto, or wooden knife.
YOU HAVE ALREADY WATCHED a few classes, so you have some idea what you can expect. You have interviewed and chosen a school and teacher that you believe can provide you with the best training available. You have signed up, shown up, and suited up. You walk into the school for your very first class. Welcome to aikido, the way of peace and harmony.
Before Class
Expectations
A word of advice is not to have too many expectations. The plan you have in your mind may not be the plan your new teacher has for your first lesson. If you are not filled with your own expectations, you will be more open to whatever is offered. As a beginner, you will encounter several new things when you attend your first class. Some will be physical and some will be psychological.
You may, at first, feel disappointed from a martial arts perspective, since aikido can look soft. As you study, however, you will find that the soft appearance gives way to the power of the throws and locks of aikido. With training, the softness returns but brings with it the power of the martial art. Aikido takes patience and persistent training. Eventually, your disappointments will turn to enjoyment and even amazement.
Humility
On first appearance, the techniques of aikido look simple to perform. When one actually tries to do them, however, they often turn out to be much more complicated than they seemed initially. The excitement you initially feel may give way to frustration when training actually begins. Be patient. With consistent and persistent training, the frustration is replaced by the even deeper excitement and appreciation for what aikido is, and for the skills you have gained.
Considering all that aikido encompasses, you should expect the first class to be overwhelming. Aikido keeps evolving and changing. Expect to change with it. Aikido has an infinite number of combinations of techniques that change with every encounter. Don't try to memorize everything too soon. Be patient with yourself and train hard. Eventually, the things that once overwhelmed you will become automatic.
Be Prepared and Show Up Early
It is considered disrespectful to show up after a class has begun. Arrive early to show that you respect the teacher, the school, your fellow students, and yourself. Have your uniform ready to go. Give yourself enough traveling time. Walk in, look around, and welcome yourself to your new home.
Introductions
Introduce yourself to others. Aikido practitioners are usually friendly. It is a way of practicing harmony and extending ki beyond the traditional practice on the mat. These strangers will become your friends, and most importantly, your training partners.
The Start of Class
Bowing
Expect to bow in class a lot. Bowing, called rei in Japanese, is a form of greeting and respect. Bow when you first enter the school and when you first step on the mat. At the beginning of the class, kneel and bow to a picture of O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. Bowing is not a religious gesture or ceremony that goes against anyone's faith of choice. Bowing to O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba is simply thanking him and showing respect for what he has given to the aikido community. In the front of the training area, usually opposite to the entrance, is the shomen. This is traditionally a raised, or recessed, shrinelike structure that is a place for ancestral spirits to reside and watch over us as we practice. The shomen usually contains a picture, a scroll, and some plant or greenery to remind us of nature. The shomen is a way to remember and honor O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, as our ancestor, for giving us aikido as a physical and spiritual practice. The shomen becomes a focus of training.
Bow to your teacher. Learning respect, humility, gratitude, and appreciation is just one of the benefits you will gain through your study of aikido.
You will see people doing a simple standing bow. They may just put their hands at their sides and bend slightly at the waist. Others will put their hands in front and bow deeply. Some schools or teachers advocate keeping your eyes open and focused on your training partner as you bow. Watch how others are bowing, and follow their examples.
Line Up, Kneel, and Bow
Line up according to rank. At your first class, you will more than likely be the one with the lowest rank. Take your place at the far left of the line, by sitting on your heels with your back straight. This is the traditional kneeling position. Relax and breathe. You will line up at the beginning and end of class, and quite possibly several times in between.
To assume the traditional kneeling and bowing positions, simply step forward and then lower yourself onto one knee. Bring your other knee onto the mat and align both knees. Sit on your heels. The toes can be curled under so the bottom of the toes and balls of the feet are on the mat. This position actually makes it easier to stand and respond if attacked. For formality, most people let the tops of their feet touch the mat. Some schools allow their students to sit with their knees apart. Others feel that this position is impolite and the knees should be together. Both hands rest, palms down, on the legs. The spine is straight. To bow, move the left hand forward onto the mat, follow it with the right hand, forming a triangle between the hands, and rock forward, letting the head dip down. Rock back up to a kneeling position. Return the right hand first, followed by the left hand, to their original position on the knees.
Listen
Expect to listen. Listen with your ears, your eyes, and most importantly, with your body. Hear what the teacher tells you and follow instructions. Listen with your eyes as the teacher demonstrates the techniques. Listen with your body by making subtle movements that mimic the movement being demonstrated.
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