Founded in 1974 by the late Fumio Toyoda Shihan, the Northwestern Aikido Club (formally Zanshinkan dojo) is a club dedicated to practicing the martial art of aikido. All Northwestern undergraduates, graduate students, staff members, and faculty are welcome to join the club. No experience is necessary and you may join during any time of the year.

Interested in aikido? Come out a try a few classes for free. Come to any class wearing free moving athletic clothing that covers your knees and we will get you started. You will be given basic instruction on falling and practicing safely during your first class.

The aikido club holds classes in the Blomquist Gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:45 PM to 8:00 PM. We prepare the space from 5:45 to 6:00, there is a class from 6:00 to 7:00, a short break, and then another class until 8:00. Please feel free to stop by for just one or both classes. Occasionally there are days when Blomquist is closed and we do not have class, so please double check our Calendar before stopping by.

If you decide to join, club dues are only $35 per quarter. Members may attend as few or as many classes per week as fits their schedule.

For information on our instructors please visit the People section.

"Aikido" Calligraphy

Aikido, "The Way of Harmony," is a Japanese martial art, developed over the first third of the last century by Morihei Ueshiba. However, roots of Aikido are much older and many techniques are draw from older martial arts traditions, particularly swordsmaship.

Aikido does not depend on raw speed or brute strength, but rather emphasizes timing (kokyu), distance (ma-ai), and the extension of centered, whole-body energy ( kiai). In Aikido, we do not seek to destroy an attacker; rather, we destroy an attack, rendering it useless, through an almost infinite combination of 4 essential types of techniques: Dynamic throws (nage-waza), strikes (atemi-waza), pinning techniques (osae-waza) and joint locking techniques (kansetsu-waza).

Learning how to safely receive an attack is also part of Aikido and is key in studying more advanced techniques. Beginners are instructed first and foremost in how to fall safely, and how to move the body properly, and introduced to simple techniques which utilize these basic movements. Gradually, a greater intensity and complexity of Aikido practice is introduced, at a level suited to the individual student's development.

O Sensei (Great Teacher)
Morihei Ueshiba

Aikido is a martial art meaning that can be an effective self defense tool and that many of its techniques can cause serious injury to an attacker. However, the goal of Aikido is not to learn to fight or sport. Instead, Aikido strives to develop a harmony with your own body and mind such that you can perceive and react to any situation. This can mean recognizing a dangerous situation and avoiding it entirely or disabling and redirecting an attacker in self defense.

Because much of Aikido's basic body movement (tai-sabaki) is drawn from Japanese Swordsmanship, Aikido training at Northwestern University Aikido Club involves both empty-hand (toshu-waza) and weapons practice (buki-waza). The traditional Aikido training weapons - the wooden sword (bokken), wooden staff (jo) and wooden knife (tanto) - are utilized regularly.

As a Budo (martial Way of life) and not merely a physical art, Aikido stresses the peaceful resolution of conflict whenever possible. A confident, strong, courageous, and centered individual is the goal of Aikido training - the kind of person who does not need to fight, and who can resolve conflict creatively and with compassion. In this manner, aikido’s philosophy transmits the most noble teachings of the samurai heritage: “True victory is victory over the self”.

Our parent dojo is Shinjinkai (which can be translated as "True Heart Society"). During the school year all club members are welcome to train at Shinjinkai free of charge. During the summer club members may train at Shinjinkai at a discounted student rate.

Shinjinkai in Chicago is affiliated with Aikido World Headquarters (The Aikikai Foundation) through Birankai, under the guidance of T.K. Chiba Sensei. Among the most renowned of the living master-level aikido teachers, Chiba Sensei lived as uchideshi at Aikido World H.Q. and studied as a personal student of the aikido founder.