Q. How do I join the Purdue Aikido Club?
A. To join, simply come to our practices! You can either sit and watch at first or just join the fun. No previous experience is necessary. We go to great lengths to make sure that noone gets hurt, and we can accomodate different skill levels and body physique all at the same time.

Q. Who can be a member of Purdue Aikido Club?
A. Anyone. It is your responsibility to obtain a membership to the Recreational Sports Center (RSC) as we are a student organization and cannot provide those. Also, if you are under 18 you will have to obtain a signature from your parents on the Purdue liability waiver form as required by the University.

Q. What are the dues and when are they due?
A. Club dues varied from time to time, but generally they have been set at $30 per academic semester. Dues for established club members are due by the end of the first month of the semester. New and prospective club members are given enough time to decide if they would like to join the club before they have to pay the dues.

Q. What are the dues used for?
A. There is one main reason we collect dues - Purdue University charges our organization a fee for the reservation of Room 128 in RSC. We have to pay them $8 per hour to make sure we will not have to vacate the room because someone else wants it and pays for it. There are no other scheduled expenses, except for an occasional end-of-the-semester club pizza party or a seminar that the majority of club members go to, so travel expenses are reimbursed if we have funds left after the room reservation is paid for. Time from time we purchase additional training weapons as the old ones get warped and broken, so we have a small cache of those to be used by the club members who do not have their own bokken and jo.

Q. Do I have to purchase a uniform (a.k.a Gi or Dogi)?
A. No, if you don't want to. As long as you wear comfortable clothing that doesn't constrain your movements you are fine. It's not uncommon for club members to purchase a uniform after several months or even years of practice when they feel the time is right.

Q. Where can I purchase a uniform?
Our club is not a commercial entity, so we don't sell uniforms. Club members buy them individually from their favorite retailer, such as Bujin Design. When more than 4 club members order uniforms together they can get a very good discount from Kiyota Co. allowing them to purchase good quality gi inexpensively.

Q. Will I have to purchase any training weapons or any other equipment?
A. Again, you don't have to purchase anything unless you want to. Some reasons for purchasing your own weapons are because you want to work out at home or just to have your own weapons to take to seminars for example. We have spare weapon sets (bokken/joe) in the club and there are enough of those for everyone most of the time. For the record, we usually buy our practice weapons from Kiyota Co. where they cost about $5-6 for a bokken and $5-10 for a jo.

Q. Are all of the practices mandatory?
A. Most of club members are students and school comes first. It is up to you to decide how much you want to practice. You will not be forced into Aikido. Practice as much as you can or want and other club members will help you improve.

Q. Do you practice year round?
A. We should. It depends on the RSC being open, especially during the holidays and break times and, of course, at least two club members being here at any given time.

Q. Are there any specific rules that regulate the behavior of students in the dojo?
A. Yes there are certain rules to follow and the are called dojo etiquette. Please follow this link in order to view a good page that talks about the matter.

Q. How do I get promoted/how is my progress tracked?
To be tested for a rank you have to be a member of the club and a member of Aikido Schools of Ueshiba. ASU membership costs $35 per year plus $35 per each kyu (white belt) test.

Q. Explain to me the ranking process.
A. Wendy Whited Sensei has been very generous to us. She took charge of our testing and ranking process from the very first test to the 1st black belt level. However, if you would like to be tested for kyu promotions you have to travel to Inaka Dojo with us on Saturday mornings so that sensei could see your progress and determine if you are ready for testing. Certificates are issued shortly after the testing. There are 6 white-belt ranks called kyu with 6th kyu (rokyu) being lowest and 1st kyu (ikkyu) being the last step before the black belt examination. Time and technique requirements are listed in ASU handbook that every club member obtains after they pay their dues in full.

Q. Can I just drive to Wendy Sensei's dojo to get the best instruction I can?
A. Yes, you can. Some club members used to do that on a regular basis. It takes about 5 hours for the trip and the class together. Monetary expense is small. There is a small fee to practice at Inaka Dojo (they have to pay their room rent as well) and you spend some gas while driving. All in all, if you have time, it's the best Aikido instruction you can find this close.

Q. Do I have to attend seminars? What are those anyways?
A Seminar is basically a class or a set of classes usually spread over 2-3 days that are taught by a high profile Aikido instructor who comes from a different dojo or even organization. A seminar could be centered around a theme they choose to emphasize or it could cover a lot of topics, but it is alway distinguished by the high level of instruction and by presence of a fair number of Aikidoka from around the state. You get many benefits from coming to a seminar, including seeing great teachers and practicing with people from other dojos. Attendance of seminars is not required for our club members, but is always encouraged as being essential to your continuos growth in Aikido.