We understand that this would not be possible without our mutual willingness to allow each other the use of our bodies for practice. This is an honor and we never forget that. While pushing ourselves to our own limits we take great care not to harm our partners during Page | 1 class. We believe that it is our job to support each other’s journey toward inner peace and strength. We open our door with this intention in mind. Everyone is encouraged to come watch a class or join us on the mat. I assure you that you will learn something incredible about yourself. Welcome Welcome to Falls Road Aikido! We have three Location intentions for our students Address: 1400 Coppermine Terrace Baltimore, MD 21209 1. Safety Phone: (508) 284-2910 2. Fun Email: [email protected] 3. Transforming into a highly effective http://www.fallsroadaikido.com martial artist. Lead Instructor: Sempai Cara-Michele Nether Falls Road Aikido produces champions in life as well as in the martial arts. Class Schedule Adults: We are a small traditional aikido dojo with a Monday 6:00 – 7:30 pm twist. “How we train in the dojo is exactly the Wednesday 6:00 – 8:00 pm same way we will show up in life” is a driving Sunday 10:00 – 12:00 noon* motto that moves us towards our goals of being *Weapons Class first Sunday of the month the best martial artist that we can be. This 9 – 12:00 noon means that realistic kicks, punches, chokes and even being taken to the ground are a part of our Please Join Us on the Mat! regular training. Even though we use colored belts to indicate Visitors are always welcome to watch class and our rank, promotion is not our goal. Instead we are encouraged to participate. Feel free to are dedicated to helping each other grow into invite your friends to join us. Visitors may try confident, grounded, unshakable, loving human out a class for free. Adult members must be beings who could, if necessary, keep ourselves thirteen years of age or older; students under and our attacker from getting hurt if the need eighteen must have a parent’s permission to would arise. We come from a long line of join. Junior Classes begin at 6 years old. aikidoka who practice hard with the intention Information about these classes can be found at of rising above our egos to find peace within fallsroadaikido.com/junior-class ourselves. 1400 Coppermine Terrace Baltimore, MD 21209 ~ 508-284-2910 ~ www.fallsroadaikido.com If your heart is large enough to envelop the realistic application of Aikido as a martial your adversaries, you can see right art AND a path for spiritual growth. In addition, through them and avoid their attacks. Ki No Kawa practitioners believe and follow And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth. Morihei Ueshiba the “Five Principles of Aikido” as taught by Page | 2 O'Sensei and the “Four Principles to Unify Mind and Body” as taught by Koichi Tohei- What is Aikido? sensei. Aikido is a Japanese martial art that devotes its training to powerful self-defense techniques About Sensei Wirth and the development of Ki (internal energy). Sensei Michael Wirth, founder of Aikido Ki The goal of Aikido is to teach students to No Kawa, has nearly thirty years of Aikido maintain a relaxed, calm state during stressful experience. Before establishing his own situations, whether they involve physical, organization in 1991, Sensei Wirth studied mental, or emotional confrontations. That’s with Sensei Maruyama. Sensei Wirth believes what makes Aikido so useful in everyday life. in the realistic application of Aikido as a martial art AND a path for spiritual growth. Ki No Kawa, or “River of Spirit,” describes our way of training and of being. We strive for harmony with ourselves and others. Our Kin No Kawa Locations training is dynamic yet suited to the 1. Main Line Budo individual’s own pace. Competition and other Location: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania ego-boosting activities are not part of Aikido Website: www.mainlinebudo.com training; the practice is devoted entirely to Hanshi Michael Wirth Founder and self-development. Through serious hands-on Chief Instructor training students gain confidence in their 2. Lehigh Valley Dojo ability -- physically, mentally, and Location: 1736 Allen St, Allentown, emotionally. Students concentrate on empty Pennsylvania hand techniques as well as how to skillfully Website: www.kinokawalv.com use and defend with and against tanto (knife), (484) 619-3319 bokken (wooden sword), and jo (staff). In Sensei Mesut Pervizpour addition, Ki breathing exercises help students develop the ability to extend Ki while fostering 3. Falls Road Aikido a calm, clear mind even in the face of an attack. Location: 1400 Coppermine Terrace Baltimore, MD 21209 What is Ki No Kawa Aikido? 508 284-2910 Ki No Kawa is a form of Aikido that Website: www.fallsroadaikido.com emphasizes the unconditional acceptance and Email: [email protected] blending of energy (Ki). It is focused on Sempai Cara-Michele Nether achieving the unification of mind, body and spirit into one movement with total concentration and purpose. Ki No Kawa means As soon as you concern “River of Ki” or “River of SPIRIT.” Ki No yourself with the 'good' and Kawa, unlike other forms of Aikido, believes in 'bad' of your fellows, you 1400 Coppermine Terrace Baltimore, MD 21209 ~ 508-284-2910 ~ www.fallsroadaikido.com create an opening in your 2. Aikido is the truth taught by the universe heart for maliciousness to and must be applied to our lives on this enter. Testing, competing earth. with, and criticizing others weaken and defeat you. ~ 3. Aikido is the principle and the path that Morihei Ueshiba joins humanity with the Universal Page | 3 Consciousness. Aikido Principles 4. Aikido will come to completion when each individual, following his or her true The four principals taught by Koichi Tohei path, becomes one with the universe. 5. Aikido is the path of strength and Mind and body were originally one. Do not compassion that leads to the infinite think that the physical power you have is the perfection and ever-increasing glory of only power you ordinarily use to live and God. grow. The power you ordinarily use is like the small, visible segment of an iceberg. When we Falls Road Aikido Lead unify our mind and body and become one with the universe, we can use the great power that Instructor is naturally ours. About Sempai Cara Michele 1. Keep one-point 2. Relax completely Sempai Cara Michele Nether, founder and 3. Keep weight underside chief instructor of the Falls Road Aikido, is a 4. Extend Ki Nidan in Aikido who studied under Ki No Kawa founder Sensei Michael Wirth and The Three Principles of Ki No Kawa Aikido Yandon Sensei Kyle Olinger. Sensei Olinger, 1. The realistic application of the principles formerly an officer with the Reading, PA, and techniques of Aikido to the living of police department, brought real-world everyday life. experience to Sempai Cara Michele’s martial 2. The realistic application of the principles arts training. Sempai Cara Michele also and techniques of Aikido in the defense of teaches a women’s self-defense course. family, friends, country and those in need. 3. Blending with energy met whether Sempai Cara Michele is an acupuncturist and positive or negative with a relaxed, functional medicine practitioner. focused and steadfast mind, body and She is also the founder Women in Wellness, spirit. Acupuncture and Nutritional Family Care. The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the The Five Principles of Aikido body, and polish the spirit. 1. Aikido is the path that joins all paths of Morihei Ueshiba the universe throughout eternity; it is the Universal Mind that contains all things and unifies all things. 1400 Coppermine Terrace Baltimore, MD 21209 ~ 508-284-2910 ~ www.fallsroadaikido.com Dojo Dues, Membership, and • Students should arrive about 15 minutes Other Fees before class to change into clean gis. • Members must be dressed, sitting in seiza, and ready to practice 5 minutes New Students before the beginning of class. • You are encouraged to try several classes • Members who are late for class must wait Page | 4 before committing to training. off of the mat in seiza until Sempai • There are never any contracts, and we do acknowledges them before bowing onto NOT sell you to a third-party billing the mat. (Bowing is a form of paying service. homage to Aikido, O’Sensei, the dojo, Sensei, and your training partners. Alone Training Dues the bow is but a hollow shell, it is the • Adults’ dues are $95.00 per month spirit in which it is done that gives it automatic payment. value and meaning.) • Drop in class is $15.00. ➢ Bow toward the shomen (the front of • Pay your dues on time without being the training hall) when entering and reminded or prompted. You should pay leaving the dojo. your dues continuously, as a ➢ Bow in front of your partner when demonstration of your serious beginning and ending practice. commitment to the dojo, for as long as you ➢ Bow and thank Sensei when receiving consider yourself a member of the dojo. individual instruction during class. • Members must ask permission to leave Other Fees the mat for any reason other than an • Gi (training uniform) New students will emergency and again wait for permission need to purchase a gi. (Unless you already to rejoin the class. own a plain-white, “judo-style” gi without • All students sit in seiza or Indian style patches or embroidery.) while Sensei is teaching unless instructed • Testing Fees: 6th -3rd kyu test fees are otherwise.