Testimonials
I have been training at Hikari Dojo for three years and always look forward to the next class! Louis Sensei’s teaching style really helps new students to learn the basics of Aikido quickly. Sensei’s teaching includes not only the physical martial techniques of Aikido, but also ways of personal growth and well-being.
My favorite classes at Hikari Dojo are weapons class in the park on Saturday mornings. It is great to start your weekend with outdoor training using bokken or jo. Everyone in the dojo is very supportive and easy to train with. Beginners are always given a lot of help and good energy at our dojo.
For advanced students, it is wonderful to be able to draw on the depth of Sensei’s teaching in the Iwama style. When I leave class after free practice, I am usually dripping with sweat and grinning from the fun and intense training. Aikido training is a path that I feel I can walk for the rest of my life, and I am very glad that my first steps on the path have been at Hikari Dojo.
I started practicing Aikido over 10 years ago. At that point in time, I was amazed exclusively on its self-defense properties and especially by the fact that small people can, without any muscular effort, make tall, big people fly in the air.
Most recently, I started to focus on a different aspect of Aikido that deals with the harmonization of energies. I became more aware of the surrounding energies and how to deal with them in a non-conflictive manner. Aikido has become part of my life and a way of continuous spiritual growth.
Through Aikido I found my own center and my connection with the rest of the universe. Aikido changed my life and gave me hope while I was going through tough moments of my personal life. Aikido is a lifetime experience, a path that makes me a better person, a better member of society, and a better professional. It is never too late for change.
Going to Aikido has been my sanctuary from my everyday stresses. The camaraderie between the students, the focus that Sensei brings to class, and the positive energy that I feel when I enter the dojo make me temporarily forget how hectic my life can be. Aikido has been teaching me to be calm in spite of the challenges we encounter, in class or outside class.
My Aikido family has been a source of support for me. I have been unfortunate during the early part of this year and have been really ill. The care, concern, and understanding from Sensei, Carla and my fellow students have given me a continuous source of inspiration and have been one of my motivations to get well
Training at Hikari Dojo has been a very positive experience for me. Sensei emphasizes a great combination of practice in the techniques of Aikido with guidance in the underlying philosophy. Aikido has helped my mental concentration, physical coordination, and improved my tennis game by about 20%. It always amazes me that I am less tired after a class than before it, no matter how hard I train.
I find that practicing Aikido is a very satisfying experience despite what stress that may be occurring in my daily life. When I step into the dojo, my stress seems to disappear. When I have finished training, the problems that seemed so large before, now become more manageable. Aikido gives me a level of clarity and a feeling of harmony that is hard to find in other parts of my life.
I like Aikido because Sensei explains techniques really well. He also makes them understandable and easy to follow. Sensei always makes sure that the technique is done correctly and that we don’t hurt others or ourselves. It is fun as well as good exercise. It is also nice because everyone works together no matter what age.