These are my notes made while looking for an Aikido dojo in the San Francisco Bay’s mid-peninsula region. Specifically the communities in and around Palo Alto, CA. (image: wikimedia.org)
[Update 2011-12-20: I have chosen to train at Aikido Center and started attending Zazen and Aikido classes in October 2011.]
I won’t get into the ‘why’ I’m looking for an Aikido dojo in this posting. Most of what I would say can be gleaned from Stan Wrobel’s excellent book, Aikido for Self Discovery: Blueprint for an Enlightened Life. I’ve included a short book review.
I made this handy google map of the Aikido dojos listed below. There is a KML file for the Google Earth crowd. Longitude and latitude coordinates were converted from the street addresses using capelinks.com.
I have included the Sensei for each dojo. It’s partly out of respect and partly out of a sense that the Sensei defines the nature of a particular dojo.
I met Doran Sensei once, briefly, some ten years ago. In those few minutes, he made a lasting impression. You cannot honestly talk about Aikido on the mid-peninsula without including Doran Sensei and his contributions.
I never met Kushida Sensei (he lives in Michigan) but I attribute his influence at Enbukan dojo. I trained for two years under a former student of Kushida Sensei and have respect for the schools under his watch.
The Aikido Center (aka Aikido Center of Mountain View) has been in its current location for many years. The dojo has a strong zen element. That is zen as in ‘zen practice’ not to be confused with ‘zen decor’.
Aikido of Mountain View has roots to the beginnings of Aikido in the area through Nadeau Sensei. I may be mistaken but I believe the dojo was once located on Charleston near what is now REI.
The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (ITP) has a dojo but I’m under the impression that it is open only to students, faculty and staff. Ironically, I’m a Masters Program student at ITP but since I’m in the Global Program, I don’t attend classes on campus. I live nearby so maybe I will be eligible. In any event, if/when I find out more information, I’ll update the listing. Frager Sensei is also Dr. Robert Frager, co-founder (along with Dr. James Fadiman) of ITP. Aikido is an integral part of the ITP Resident Program.
I don’t know anything more about the remaining dojo than what I’ve read on their websites. I recommend reading their material first hand.
On the matter of dues (or tuition), I included the figures I found on their websites. I feel the amount of the dues is not really important. Note that all the schools charge about the same amount (hundred bucks a month, give or take). This is a really expensive part of the country; it is very expensive to operate a dojo here. My guess is that the dues keep the doors open. Barely.
Only the adult class schedule is given. Most schools have a separate children’s schedule on their website.
The following list is in alphabetical order by dojo name. The information reflects what was listed on each dojo’s respective website cira mid-November, 2010. Things change with time. Check with the school for the latest information.
Aikido Center Shiohira Sensei2560 Wyandotte Avenue, #A Mountain View, CA. 94043
Monday 18:30-20:00 basic 20:00-20:30 open Tuesday 17:45-18:30 zazen ? 18:30-20:00 basic 20:00-20:30 open Wednesday 18:30-20:00 beginners 20:00-20:30 open Thursday 17:45-18:30 zazen ? 18:30-20:00 basic 20:00-20:30 open Friday 18:30-20:00 beginners 20:00-20:30 open Saturday 10:00-11:00 basic 12:20-13:00 basic
$100/month
Aikido of Mountain View Nadeau Sensei1924 Plymouth Street Mountain View, CA 94043
Monday 18:30-20:00 fundamental Tuesday 18:30-20:00 basic Wednesday 18:30-20:00 basic Thursday 18:30-20:00 basic Saturday 09:30-11:00 weapons 11:00-12:30 basic Sunday 11:00-12:30 basic
$100/month
Aikido West Doran Sensei3164 Bay Road Redwood City, CA 94063
Monday 06:30-07:00 basics 18:00-19:00 basics 19:00-20:15 general Tuesday 18:00-19:00 basics 19:00-20:15 general Wednesday 06:30-07:00 basics 18:00-19:00 basics 19:00-20:15 general Thursday 18:00-19:00 basics 19:00-20:15 general Friday 18:30-20:00 general Saturday 08:45-09:45 basics 10:00-11:00 general Sunday 08:30-09:45 weapons 10:00-11:00 general
$95/month
Aikido@Noon Hale Sensei501 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Monday 12:00-12:50 Wednesday 12:00-12:50
$333/3months resident 449/3months non-resident (Through City of Menlo Park)
Enbukan Dojo Kushida Sensei209 West Evelyn Avenue Mountain View, CA 94041
Monday 19:00-19:50 2 20:00-20:50 3 Tuesday 18:15-18:55 intro 19:00-19:50 1 20:00-20:50 2 Wednesday 19:00-19:50 3 20:00-20:50 2 Thursday 18:15-18:55 intro 19:00-19:50 2 20:00-20:50 1 Friday 19:00-20:30 open 20:00-20:50 3
$90/month
Institute of Transpersonal Psychology Frager Sensei1069 East Meadow Circle Palo Alto, CA 94303
? ? ?
Tuition unknown
Rocky Valley Aikido Heery Sensei Tuazon Sensei1211 Arbor Road Menlo Park, CA 94025
Tuesday 19:00-20:00 St. Raymond School Wednesday 17:30-18:30 Mitchell Park Thursday 19:00-20:00 St. Raymond School
$60/month
Sierra Aikido Levenbach Sensei Bennett Sensei2134 Old Middlefield Way, Suite A Mountain View, CA 94043
Monday 19:00-20:00 weapons Tuesday 12:00-13:00 Wednesday 19:00-20:00 Thursday 12:00-13:00 Friday 19:00-20:00 Saturday 11:00-12:00 weapons
$100/month
Stanford Aikido Doran SenseiArillaga Family Sports Center Wrestling Room 641 Campus Drive Stanford, CA 94305
Monday 12:00-13:00 Tuesday 12:00-13:00 Wednesday 12:00-13:00 Thursday 12:00-13:00 Friday 12:00-13:00
$ 50/quarter Student 105/quarter Stanford Faculty/Staff 225/quarter Non-Stanford Affiliated 15/quarter Anyone paying dues at Aikido West