Welcome! 

Welcome to the White Oak Aikido Dojo located in Reading, Berkshire UK. Beginners (aged 18+) are welcome at anytime and we run a special Foundations Scheme to provide you with a structured introduction to Aikido. Experienced students are always welcome to join or visit. We also host an annual Aikido course with Sensei Foster  (head of the Institute of Aikido) in Reading, Berkshire on the first weekend in December.

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Aikido is a fascinating and engrossing, traditional Japanese Martial art, a way of defence, that uses an attacker’s strength, momentum and aggression against themselves in order to resolve a conflict. Historically, its techniques originate from the throws and joint locks of jujitsu, and from sword and staff techniques, which optimise the body’s movement to obtain maximum efficiency and power. Aikido develops a deep kinaesthetic understanding of how the body works and how this power can be used responsibly to affect another human being and achieve a desired resolution.  

                 
Aikido methods are often used in women's self defence classes since they rely more on skill than strength. It also does not rely on the practitioner being fitter or faster than an attacker and hence is an art that can be studied lifelong.  It is a very flexible art, where the practitioner learns to use a level response appropriate to the situation At one extreme, a form of Aikido is used by the Tokyo riot police, at the other, its techniques may be used for gentle restraint in mental hospitals where it is a priority to control without causing harm. Emphasis in Aikido training is placed on absorbing and redirecting an attack rather than blocking or parrying. It teaches the importance of achieving mental calm and control of one's own body in order to master an opponent's attack without causing them unnecessary harm.  Unlike some other martial arts, the aim of Aikido is to subdue, rather than to maim or kill an opponent

By training in Aikido we learn to deal with realistic physical attacks but it is much more than an effective method of self defence. The martial arts have long been considered as a path to personal and spiritual growth and development of the human character, as much as a way of dealing with physical conflict. The qualities of the ideal warrior - courage, decisiveness, strength, clarity of mind, compassion - are also some of the ideal qualities of the human being. A true martial artist views conflict not as a contest against others, but as an opportunity to forge oneself and overcome the true enemies, which are within. A favourite saying of Morihei Ueshiba O Sensei, the founder of Aikido was, "True victory is self-victory."

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White Oak Aikido

The White Oak Dojo (Reading, Berkshire)  is part of the Institute of Aikido, a founder member of the British Aikido Board (BAB), which is recognised by Sport England as the governing body for Aikido in the UK. White Oak was founded in 1991 based at the YMCA, Parkside Road, Reading Berkshire, and carries on an Aikido tradition in Reading which was first established in 1969.  It is taught by Sensei Simon Thackeray (5th Dan)

The club has a sister dojo based at Reading University, the RUSU Aikido Club (open to students and staff of Reading University). There is a reciprocal training agreement between the two clubs so that members of White Oak may also train at the RUSU sessions.(training times and locations).  See the Dojo noticeboard for lastest news

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