I had always wanted to dedicate myself to a martial art but I worried about my physical strength, my abilities, my time constraints, etc. Before I joined I had no experience with any martial art, I had never done any kind of fighting, I hadn?t done any intensive physical training of any kind. I have no background in dance or gymnastics or yoga or anything else that could have remotely prepared me for what was to come. Basically, I was jumping into something completely new. \r
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It is now only three months since I joined and I have already learned lessons I will take with me for the rest of my life. The changes you experience are profound. You can?t help but feel the external, physical effects, but it is the internal shift that is most striking. Everything from little things I can be aware of and use daily like breathing techniques, stretches, and warm up exercises, to deeper, spiritual, intellectual and challenging thoughts and ideas that I would not have been exposed to otherwise.\r
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The people who make up the dojo are amazing. They have created a friendly, warm, inviting, family atmosphere that they welcome everybody into. Every single person in the dojo is kind and helpful, if you live in New York, you won?t believe it. They are not only there to train for themselves, they are there to help and guide, to share your experience.\r
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If your main concern is that you have never done anything like Aikido before, that alone should be your main motivation for joining this dojo. They will welcome you warmly, encourage you, motivate you, and challenge you. Like anything else in life you get out what you put in. And nobody would regret any energy they put into this dojo because you get so much out. So much new spirit and fresh perspective, so much rejuvenation and stimulation, so much friendship. Simply put, the dojo is for anyone, of any age and any ability, who is willing to be open to life. You will learn alot about yourself you didn't know.
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