Aikido Kokikai Frederick MD

08/15/2024

Ever wonder what aikido is about? (No, its not really what Steven Seagal does in movies)

Join us for a FREE DEMO at the Deer Crossing Recreational Center on Saturday, September 14, 2024. Register TODAY at

08/15/2024

A new session of classes will be starting in September!!! Register TODAY for beginners classes. Classes begin September 21, 2024 every Saturday 10:45-11:45 AM at the Deer Crossing Recreational Center in New Market, MD

01/08/2022

After a 2 year hiatus, we’re back!! Sessions start this Saturday, January 8 at our old haunt in the Deer Crossing Rec Center. Classes are:

Intermediate: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Beginner: 10:45 am - 11:45 am

The session lasts 7 weeks.

Registration is through Frederick County Parks and Recreation (https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/frederickcntyparksandrec/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&activity_select_param=2&activity_keyword=Aikido&viewMode=list)

Hope to see you there. If you have questions, please reach out here.

For information about weather-related closures or delays, call the hotline at 301-600-6291

06/11/2020

It's been 3 months since we've held physical classes, as is the case for most of our fellow dojos. And it looks like it might be another 2-3 months if not longer. As a martial art, physical interaction feels essential, and currently not really prudent. As many of my friends have said, can't wait to throw someone.

How do we persevere? At some level, martial arts are about improving oneself, not proving ourself against others. Our Basic Principles are not about interpersonal interaction, but about our own experience and actions. Interpersonal interaction helps test these principles and provides feedback for our skill, but they are not core to our own art in some sense.

Many of us have dug into our weapons kata and movement, into how to improve coordination, perhaps how to use our breath more effectively, and becoming more self-aware in our relaxation, posture and attitude. As someone who has been teleworking from my basement office for several months now, introspecting and improving my movement, calmness and coordination has been a sustaining force through these times. So has weekly online meetings with my colleagues where we can share ideas and co-learn.

Stay safe, and keep improving.

03/14/2020

Frederick County Parks and Rec have closed all facilities and cancelled all classes for 2 weeks in an abundance of caution following the mandated school closings. Hence we will not have classes for the next two weeks. Please be safe out there.

01/16/2020

Given impending weather on Saturday, please call the Frederick County Parks and Rec (301-600-6291) Saturday morning to see if the classes are cancelled. The instructors may make a separate call depending on how safe it is to drive to class. Members will be notified by e-mail.

11/26/2019

We plan to have class on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so that we can burn some of that feast off.

07/15/2019

One of the hardest things we learn is to stay calm in the face of attack. Only while calm can we transform that attack into something more benign, controlling the conversation to a preferably safe outcome. We explored this last week with a session of men tsuki, punch to the face. Practicing how to deflect the attack while holding your ground, then strategically moving on first contact to deflect and control the attacker into a throw, and struggling with ma-ai (distance) and how that impacts the comfort and effectiveness of our response. Also how calmness gives us more time to deal with an attack, and more time to let the defense evolve based on the attacker's intent and physicality. Fun times!!

07/09/2019

There is a short session July 13-August 10 to accommodate some scheduling issues over the year. This is beginners session, so if you're interested, please sign up at

Description: Aikido is one of the most modern forms of the Japanese martial arts. It has been called a "gentle" martial art because it uses strictly defensive techniques of evasion, redirection, and immobilization and control an attacker. Aikido focuses on gaining maximum effect from minimum effort...