Introductory course, January 10th to 31st.

Any student under the age of 19 must bring a waiver signed by a guardian per Alabama law. This can be downloaded from the members page of this website.

Adults and dependents 13 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:

Aikido General Basic Class: Tues. 6:30-7:45 and Thurs. 7:30-8:45 p.m. in Studio 2

Aikido Weapons Class: Thurs. 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in Studio 4

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 introductory course if free. 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 $30 for the duration of the course. Entrance fee to be collected 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 course may do so by paying the normal monthly dues of $20 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 13 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 age of 16 to 18 who are not UAB students may attend classes if a guardian is somewhere in the building. Dependents age 13-15 may attend basic classes if a guardian is training with them or watching class. Sensei will make a determination on a case by case basis as to whether a students is physically and emotionally mature enough to participate. 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.