Starting any new activity can be daunting. Martial arts especially. We welcome newcomers and experienced practitioners alike, so come along and join in. We're sure you'll like it!

If you don't want to join in straight away, then come along and watch a training session to get an idea of what it's all about, but don't forget to introduce yourself to sensei (teacher), who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Aikido is a "soft" martial art. It doesn't include many of the aspects of physical training (like press ups or body building) included in many martial arts. Instead exercises stress the need for balance and relaxation and include a lot of stretching to keep suppleness at all ages.

Aikido can be used for self-defence and is especially suitable for women as it relies on movement rather than strength. There's no competition. Practitioners partner up to help each other practice and perfect techniques. These consist of a series of arm and wrist locks as well as defences against punches, kicks, and knife attacks.

You don't have to superfit to start, just in reasonable all round health. Disabled students are welcome (though there is no wheelchair access at the Greenwich dojo.