Charles River Aikido

03/20/2026

A big thank you to Aikido Kokikai - Rhode Island for hosting a wonderful friendship practice last weekend! Lots of great ideas, warmth, and enthusiasm, as we prepare for Spring Camp coming up in a few weeks!

02/06/2026

New class added: Sundays 10am to 11:30am
Beginners always welcome. Join us at Pence Self-Defense Academy, 226 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA

01/16/2026

Congratulations to former Charles River Kokikai student and instructor, Benjamin Goldstein, now sensei at Salt Lake Aikido Kokikai, on his promotion to 5th dan!

11/20/2025

https://www.charlesriveraikido.com/our-instructors

Jay Rifkin Jay holds a 5th degree black belt in Kokikai Aikido and has been teaching aikido in the Boston area since 1996. He began his practice in New Jersey under Gary Snyder and then Eric Horlbeck, then taught aikido at MIT for many years before opening the Greater Boston branch of Charles River

11/20/2025

Ongoing classes in Burlington MA continue every Mon & Wed 6:30-8:00pm. Join any time.

The word aikido is composed of three Japanese characters:
ai, meaning harmony
ki, spirit or energy
do, the path or the way

Aikido = “the way to harmony with life energy".

09/11/2022

This is really well put, and that's a great group of folks up in Rochester NY. But if you're closer to suburban Boston, come check us out. Adult classes Monday and Wednesday, 6:30 - 8pm.

Always accepting new students! Start on your path this week. Just bring yourself... and maybe a friend, to any class. Aikido Kokikai® is ideal for individuals and professions like teachers, nurses, and law enforcement and wherever a proportional response is required. The great beauty of Aikido is that the same techniques can be employed with different levels of energy to appropriately handle everyone from that person that had a bit to much to drink all the way to that person who will not get past me to get at a loved one.

Not worried about self-defense? Aikido is also great full body workout that develops and maintains flexibility and core strength. Practice engages the mind and the body simultaneously. Why run on a glorified hamster wheel when you can have way more fun at the dojo.

We currently have classes for adults and late-teens
Tuesdays 7-8 and 8-9pm,
Wednesdays 6-7pm, and
Thursdays 7-8pm.

Just bring loose comfortable clothing such as sweat/yoga pants, and a heavier t-shirt.

Feel free to email message us with any questions! Also, checkout www.aikidorochester.com for more info.

05/02/2022

Kids classes are up and running. 2 options: M 8:00 - 9:15pm, W 5:15 - 6:30pm. Come to one or both!

06/30/2021

We are now open again! Adult classes, MW 6:30 - 8:00 pm, at Pence Self-Defense in Burlington, MA. Beginners and returning students always welcomed.

03/17/2019

The role of Uke - It's better to give than receive.

The word uke derives from the word "ukeru" which translates as "to receive". In Aikido, and other martial arts, it refers to the attacker who receives a defender's technique. It is an interesting choice of words. Interesting because to uke properly, a person must give. A good uke must provide a realistic attack with sufficient energy to really warrant a defense, but also just enough energy to challenge their partner without overwhelming them. If over done, no learning is accomplished, only frustration and possible injury. If underdone, nage is cheated the chance to learn, to improve, to one day be ready to take everything that an uke can muster.

Uke's gift must be thoughtful and measured, and given freely. Uke must give without ego, knowing that they will be thrown. Any technique from any art can be thwarted easily if one knows it is coming. But in practice we almost always know what technique is coming. We announce it, demonstrate it, and repeat it. Yet as uke we must give our gift of an honest attack each and every time, without a thought as to how nage (the defender) is going to respond. We must have a wily coyote's faith this time we're going to really hit them and they aren't going to move this way or that. Knowing that we will end up going for a roller coaster ride and splatting on the mat...and we rise and do it time after time. Uke is giving in the truest sense.