New York Aikido Center - Aikido Training

NY Aikido Center
Traditional Aikido Instruction - Long Island, NY

- NYAC Message & Announcement Archive-

Recent Announcements
April 2010

Welcome to Spring, 2010. In an effort to get back to basics, we have created a new schedule to reflect a "start and end your day with training" mentality. We now offer three types of classes including Aikido techniques (Waza), static solo training, (kihon) and breath/movement waza (kokyu). As a reminder, the next Kyu test will be Saturday, June 19th. Please mark your calendars. If you are not testing, please come down to support everyone either as a spectator, or even better, as Uke for someone who is testing on that day. Lastly, I am continuing the Special Promotion, (see below) for any and all returning NYAC students.

Ganbattemasu!

February 2010

Please note that the NYAC schedule has been updated for the remainder of Winter, 2010.

January 2010

I hope that eveyone had a wonderful and productive time during the holiday break. Perhaps you were even able to spend your New Years with your family and loved ones. Welcome all to 2010. I hope you are looking as forward as I am to resuming training on Wednesday, the 6th of January.

There is a good chance tha many of your new years resolutions have already been broken. As impossible as it seems, discipline somehow melted away like the snow from the Christmas storm of 2009. This is not a failure on your part, nor is it something to fear, or shy away from. Rather this is something which we all must embrace as we move forward in our daily lives. Discipline is not something one merely "has" or "gets" or simply "developes" over time. Discipline is ingrained in the mind and body of the who you will become tomorrow,It is not found in the who you are today.

This is the process of shugyo. It is not fast. It is not easy. That which is developed can be said to be temporary and fleeting at best. This is the main reason why we must continue to train ourselves, both in and out of the dojo, and on a daily basis. As we manage to transform ourselves into the next iteration of our being, our goals will naturally also transform. To accomplish our hightened aspirations, we will need a more efficient skill set, a deeper commitment to reach our newfound goals, and, of course, a firmer will. We didn't have any of those qualities in the amount needed as of yesterday. We didn't think about those things when we awoke this morning. Now as it lay just out of reach in front of us it is time to get in touch with our desire for it - today. It is with this spirit and mindset with which I ask all of you to return to training in 2010. Ganbattemasu!

- October 2009 -
Convenient Fall Schedule Now Set

We are once again opening the doors to anyone interested in training with us at our private training facility in Suffolk County, Long Island. Classes focus on basic understanding of movement with Aiki and are both semi-private and hand-tailored to the individual. If you are interested in something outside of the standard commercial dojo experience, but still want that traditional feel, please contact us here.

NY Aikido Center - Special Promotion
Former a limited time only: Former NYAC students that have not trained in over 4 months who return to training during Spring Training, 2010 are eligible for a free month of training with each paid month of training. Other special discounts and promotions may also be available. Please speak with Ravens Sensei for specific details regarding your specific situation.. Message - November 2009

I would like to take this moment and offer a hearty "congratulations" to all who participated in the Fall, 2009 Kyu Test, here at NY Aikido Center. Raising up the level at which we train is what the testing process should be about. The test is not just about creating an environment of intensity from an external point of view, but rather be an event which culminates with a shift in the internal approach each one of us adopts from the moment the test ends. Maintaining that new focus over the months and years to come is and should always be one of our highlighted training goals.

Everyone managed to step up their game and demonstrate a very high level of intention with a positive spirit. This goes for those taking the test, the senior students who took ukemi, and anyone who attended just to watch and support those testing. I would like to especially point out the excellent job Vinney Aponte is doing in his new role as NYAC technical Instructor.

With that in mind, I would announce that everyone has passed and will now be officially promoted to the rank for which they tested. The next NYAC Kyu Test will be held late February or early March. Ganbattemasu!

NY Aikido Center - Special Promotion
Former a limited time only: Former NYAC students that have not trained in over 4 months who return to training by the 2009 Holiday Break are now eligible for a free month of training with each paid month of training. Other special discounts and promotions are available. Please speak with me directly for specific details regarding your specific situation..

March, 2009 We are currently offering discounted programs for all new members. If you are interested, please send us email here. Once we receive your email we will send you back a brief application for you to fill out and send back and get back to you as soon as possible.

February, 2008 We are currently accepting new members. If you are interested in joining our group, please use This Link

September, 2007 Please check out our updated NYAC pictures page.

August, 2006 The end of Summer, 2006 is at hand. The past eight months have been filled with many interesting challenges for everyone in our Dojo. We unfortunately had to say goodbye to one of our students, Yasuhiko "Ash" Ogawa, as he was summoned back to Japan by his company to embark on the next stage of his employment. He has finally been able to settle in and has begun practicing Aikido with a well known 8th Dan from the Aiki-Kai. We wish him all of the best and hope to have the chance to train together again someday. Then there was the steep climb up the lonely hill which may be better known as the training for the brown belt test. What was expected was nothing short of training to go beyond one's own perceived limitations at every level, coupled with gaining an intimate understanding that one is responsible for their own training first and foremost, and that a teacher is only there to offer the occasional gentle hand of guidance to be used to direct the sincere student back to the path should they stray.

As instructor, I found it difficult at times to sit back and let each of the students at this level feel around in the dark as they sought out their own motivations for training under the most difficult of circumstances - an impending Black Sunday Kyu test laying out there on some unknown weekend. With a few weeks notice, the test finally came to pass with the much-welcome assistance of senior student Mr. Sung Chong along with the added stress provided by Thai Sam who was visiting from his own dojo in California. It was truly an old-school test. No one was spared the opportunity to come back from a place from which they each thought they would truly perish.

In the end, despite one minor physical injury, I chose to promote Vinny Aponte, Gerson Agostini, Hank Glover and Mark Lugris to Ni-kyu. In obtaining their brown belt, my wish is that these students take with them the lessons of the past three years into the next aspect of our journey together - finding out what it really means to be Uke. The growth of each of these students over the past few months since the test is testament to their willingness to let go of what they have discovered not to work and an ability to seek out something new with which to create a new foundation upon which to build a greater understanding of Aikido and the integration of one's training back into one's own life.

January, 2006 Happy New Year to all! 2005 was a banner year for us at NY Aikido Center. It was a year marked by significant moments such as our group's venture to Aiki-Expo out in California back in May, gathering up an even dozen (thanks to Fred Little & Ron Tisdale) to attend the Abe Seiseki Sensei seminar out in Iowa, back in September and our group's very successful production of the 2nd Annual NYAC Fall Seminar featuring our teacher, Haruo Matsuoka Sensei which culminated with the promotion of four mudansha (Vinny Aponte, Gerson Agostini, Hank Glover & Mark Lugris) to the rank of San-Kyu and Sung Chong testing for, passing and being granted the rank of Shodan - a first for any student of NY Aikido Center. In terms of the training, it was a year of great challenges and seemingly insurmountable obstacles that the students met with grace, passion and sincerity. The results from where I sit have been great personal growth for each and every student. I am truly honored to serve as Dojo-Cho to such a group.

It is now 2006. Welcome to the new year. This year will see a dramatic increase in the level of training as we head towards the Ni-Kyu testing later in the year. We also have been granted the opportunity to go to Japan for our very own gashuku at Abe Sensei's dojo in Osaka. I hope that each one of you who can take the time to go will choose to make this once in a lifetime trip a reality. I am sure that you will find that both you and your Aikido will never be the same. As the year opens, there is the opportunity for a few new members to join our ranks. Beginning with Kagami Baraki in January we will open enrollment for one month to potential students who would like to go through our quarter-year probation and interview process in hopes of becoming a permanent part of our group. This is the time to invite those individuals that have expressed an interest in training with us or those whom you feel would benefit from what we do at NY Aikido Center. In the mean time...let's all dust off our dogi, tighten our obi, and get back on the tatami - ganbattemasu!

August, 2005

2nd Annual Fall Seminar
Saturday December 10th, 2005

Download & Print the Seminar Flyer

Seminar to be held in New York City, NY
Mid-Town Manhattan

NYAC is honored, once again to host the 2nd annual Fall Seminar with Haruo Matsuoka Sensei, December 10th, 2005. This rare opportunity comes just in time for the holidays and is the perfect gift for the serious student of Aikido.

Please click here for more information & registration form.

June, 2005 I am happy to announce the addition of our Monday basics class. Training will be from 8:00 to 9:00 PM every Monday, commencing on June 27th. This class is for new students and will focus on the basic elements of aikido such as stance, posture, basic attacks and ukemi, of course. This class will also serve as a good way for intermediate and advanced students to review and work on their own basics as well as give them an opportunity to assist in introducing aikido to the next generation of NYAC students. We look forward to seeing you there!

NYAC would also like to let you know that beginning on Wednesday, June 27th and beginning on Monday July 11th, we will host weekly Yoga classes from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. No previous yoga training is needed, and you do not have to be a NYAC member to join in, so everyone is welcome to come and try Yoga.

May, 2005 Since we became a private training group back in 2004, we have been making steady progress. So far, 2005 has been a year focused on the transition from simple or basic, static techniques to an introduction of both more intermediate aikido concepts and more advanced levels of ukemi. Of course, we always keep an eye on our basics like hanmi posture, kokyu, menuchi and irimi-tenkan. Since the students have all moved ahead and the quality maintained, I decided to make some minor changes to our policy of accepting new students, with a goal of allowing sincere students, whether or not they are experienced in aikido or even martial arts at all to have an opportunity to apply for entry in and to train with our small but sincerely dedicated group.

However, it is important to state that as a group our goals have not changed. We still seek O-Sensei's Aikido through the interpretation of both Haruo Matsuoka Sensei and Seiseki Abe Sensei. As Dojo-Cho (chief instructor), my personal commitment is to create an environment where I can give something more than just techniques to each and every person who trains at NY Aikido Center. One of my extended goals is to enable each person to contribute something back to the group, beyond just attending classes, thereby raising the group as a whole. In my opinion, this provides for a constantly enriching environment that is based upon the contributions of each and every person, both student and teacher, alike.

I want to graciously thank Matsuoka Sensei's for his visit at the end of October, 2004. Inviting Matsuoka Sensei to NY for a private seminar with my group had been one of my personal goals for years. It served to solidify my stated goal of creating a heartfelt connection for each student back to Matsuoka Sensei and the other students of his Aikido Doshinokai group. The patience and encouragement he shared with us has kept us going in the months since his visit. We are excited at the prospect of having him back each and every year to share his wonderful spirit and boundless enthusiasm for the path of Aikido the we each seek to follow.

September, 2004 In an effort to greater realize our goals as martial artists, my group and I have chosen to alter the nature and level of our training. To better facilitate this new direction, we have moved from a public dojo model to a more formal, private study group. Our public Dojo in Lindenhurst has been closed in favor of our new private training facility. New students are welcome, but are only accepted via personal invitation of either the Chief Instructor or one of our current members. In either case, formal letters of recommendation from your current martial arts instructors are required. NYAC training sessions are not open for public participation or viewing. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding our policy or process.

For those outside of our study group, there is the alternative of scheduling private, 60 or 90 minute one-on-one training sessions. Please note: before scheduling any training sessions, there a short interview at which time the specific needs as determined by the person interested in this type of training are discussed, along with the cost associated with this level of training.