Introductory session, June 1st to June 29th 2010. Adults and dependents 16 year of age and older are welcome to attend the session. It is not necessary to have a Recreation Center Membership to participate in the session. This course will introduce students to the basics of Aikido, including taking safe falls, basic techniques, the philosophy of Aikido, and its application to daily life. Space is limited and pre-registration is necessary. Email Ken McGrew Sensei at utsusemiaikikai@mac.com to reserve your spot. Entry to the Rec. Center for those without a Rec. Center membership will not be possible without pre-registration. Your name(s) will be placed on a list at the front desk.

Come to as many of the following times as you like during the session:
Tues. and Thurs. 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Sunday 12:30 p.m. (Subject to Sensei's Availability)

Come early and be dressed about 15 minutes before class to help with setting up, if at all possible. Long exercise pants, such as sweat pants, are appropriate as well as short or long sleeved shirts. No shorts or tank tops. For safety, no jewelry may be worn in class including earrings, watches, and rings. Due to the nature of the training long finger and toenails are also a safety issue. If long nails are necessary, however, they may be taped before class to prevent injury. If have you a white martial arts uniform (Karate, Judo, or Aikido styles), you may wear this with a white (not colored) belt.

The cost for the introductory class will depend on your ability to enter the UAB Rec. Center. For those with their own membership, the cost is $20 to be paid on the first class you attend. Those who do not already have a Rec. Center membership are eligible to have discounted entry into the Rec. Center (provided pre-registration is done) for $50 paid on the first attended class. This amount covers both introductory session dues as well as Rec. Center entry. Those who choose to continue their Aikido training after the introductory class may do so at the discounted rate of $40 for the remainder of the summer but must either arrange their own recreation center membership(s) or be sponsored in by the dojo and by paying the Rec. Center $8 per visit at the door. Information on Rec. Center membership can be found here:

Rec. Center membership is available to students, employees, alumni of UAB, and dependents. It is also available to persons who live in the same household as a current Rec. Center member. Members of the larger Birmingham community who do not have a UAB affiliation may join the UAB Alumni Society. It is not necessary to have graduated from UAB to join the society. Members of the society are eligible to purchase a Rec. Center membership. Information on joining the society can be found here:

Dependents can obtain a Rec. center membership at a significantly discounted rate. Dependents 16 years of age or older are welcome to train with us, but their ability to access the Rec. Center is governed by the dependant policy of the Rec. Center which can be found below. During the summer months (June through the end of August) an exception to the general rule allows dependents to enter the Rec. Center on Tues. and Thurs. for the purposes of training in Aikido.

Dependents under the age of 19 (does not apply to UAB students) must have a guardian in the Rec. Center while training. Guardians may be in other parts of the building and are not required to directly supervise dependents in the Aikido class, though they are welcome to train Aikido with their children. Members of the community who wish to gain entry to the Rec. Center by means of the introductory session, however, will be required to pay the Introductory session fee in order to gain access to the building even if their purpose is to observe their dependent child and are not allowed to use the other facilities in the Center. For these reasons we encourage families who do not yet have Rec. memberships to try Aikido for the Intro. session as a family.