Aikido Shusekai

Berkeley, United States

4.9

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 510-776-4341
Website:
www.aikiarts.com
Address:
2525 8th St Studio 12, Berkeley, CA, 94710
b/t Dwight Way & Parker St
West Berkeley
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
600 ftDwight Cresent & 7th St
0.2 mi6th & Channing Way
0.6 miUniversity Av & 9th
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Today –
Local time (Berkeley) 20:46 Friday, 29 November 2024

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Tuesday –
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Description

Specialties

Aikido is a martial art dedicated to bringing grace and mindfulness to the way we manage conflict. We learn to handle aggressors by working in harmony with their force. Through our practice, we also learn to cultivate greater harmony in our own bodies and spirits, and in our relationships with others and with the world.

Through vigorous, challenging, and joyful practice in a supportive group environment, we develop the resources to handle conflict with grace, skill, calm strength, and compassion.

Aikido Shusekai is an independent school of Aikido, founded by Nick Walker Sensei and dedicated to providing Aikido training for adults, teens, and children in an inclusive, supportive, cooperative learning environment, grounded in martial arts tradition while at the same time encouraging of personal experimentation and creative innovation. We are committed to creating a dojo community that is welcoming, safe, inclusive, and fun.

Meet the Business Owner

Nick W.

Business Owner

Nick Walker Sensei, 6th Dan, founder and senior instructor of Aikido Shusekai, has been teaching Aikido for three decades. His innovative approach to the art draws upon his training in several Aikido styles and his experience in a number of other disciplines and fields, including yoga, qigong, zen, physical theatre, Somatic Psychology, and Integral Theory.

Nick Sensei holds an M.A. in Somatic Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, where he is currently an adjunct professor in the Interdisciplinary Studies program. He is an educator, author, speaker, and consultant in a number of fields, including somatics, embodiment, diversity, autism, neurodiversity, creativity, conflict resolution, integral practice, and transformative learning.

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20 reviews of Aikido Shusekai

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Place rating: 3
El Cerrito, CA
If you are looking for a dojo for yourself Akido Shusekai may meet your needs. However if you are looking for an after school activity for your child this dojo might not be a good choice. Sessions are one and a half hours long and children are required to to go to no less than two sessions per week. I found the teacher to be inflexible and unclear about her expectations for student progress The website did not provide much clarification on belt progression. When I asked to speak with her she didn’t respond to my email. My daughter liked the class, but thought that the sensei showed favoritism to certain students and cursed a lot.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Martial arts dojos can be intimidating, competitive environments. This Dojo is the antithesis of that and embodies the lessons of peace, improvement of self and others, and care for the well-​being of all involved.
I highly recommend this studio for anyone wishing for a supportive, challenging, nurturing environment in which to learn physical techniques and philosophy for creating harmony out of situations that may seem to offer none.
Place rating: 5
Emeryville, CA
If you’ve got kids that are curious about aikido, Aikido Shusekai’s free trial months are a great opportunity – it’s an amazing way to get a true taste of the form. Check their website for details – we started when they did a free trial month in May, and they’ve got another coming up this September.
My two kids – 11 and 9 – both absolutely love training in aikido at Aikido Shusekai. Their sensei, Azzia, keeps the kids classes focused and serious while still being playful and engaged. The principles of aikido really resonate with our family, and we’ve had many thoughtful, lively conversations after aikido classes.
Azzia is one of those rare mentors that really sees each student, and does what she can to reach them all within the confines of a highly structured class.
Nick and Azzia are also really responsive to the needs of the community. They recently began offering an advanced kids class for students who aren’t ready for joining the adult classes, but are ready for more challenges.
Wonderful dojo, wonderful people, wonderful experience for our family.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
All righty, then. Five years have passed since I wrote my last review, and it’s time to update it. I would not change a single word of what I wrote before – Aikido Shusekai is still an amazing dojo, a great community of students and instructors. I would only add that, because it IS so amazing and supportive, it has enabled me and many other students to develop and nurture a long-​term relationship with the dojo.
The openness and disciplined-​but-​fun vibe that people feel on the first visit only gets better over time. The founder, Nick Walker Sensei, has a profound ability to get to the heart of aikido, and to bring that forth to everyone on the mat.
I wrote my initial review when I was still in the beginner ranks. Now I can speak as a meaningful case study of «What would happen if a guy in his 50’s with a family and a full time job wanted to start training in aikido, after a 25 year hiatus?» That pretty much sounds like a recipe for disappointment. But with the supportive atmosphere of Shusekai, I found the «permission to succeed» that I was looking for. I’ve taken my time, but have now made it to shodan, first-​degree black belt, with no reason to ever stop moving and growing in the art.
So, if you’re looking for a place to start (or re-​start) an exploration of aikido, Aikido Shusekai is worth a try. But don’t be surprised if you end up staying for a long, long time.
Place rating: 5
Downtown, Saint Louis, MO
After researching and visiting some aikido schools in the area and I decided to attend this school.
The place has a great learning environment. It’s subtle but I feel an inner zeal to learn from instructors who have dedicated their lives to the beautiful art of aikido.
Most impressive thing is that Nick sensei sub-​communicate a balance between softness (suppleness and yielding) and alertness while teaching aikido techniques, which is pretty rare to find.
Instructors share all their wisdom and years of experience with aikido for you without holding anything back and you can use it anyway you want in different aspects of life.
Students train with other students from different age groups and gender which is deeply interconnected with the balance between suppleness and alertness. It’s cause while training with different people during the classes, one naturally finds a balance between the two.
Since aikido is considered as the most spiritual martial art and this is reflected while training here like learning without words, conscious breaths, introducing gap between thinking while bowing etc.
Although they seem to be way too traditional sometimes with some of the things they sub-​communicate to the students, still it’s a good school.
Along with that it’s Pretty spacious. Also you can find many hot girls in nearby dance studios.
Place rating: 5
Richmond, CA
I have been attending classes at Aikido Shusekai for about two months and I’m very happy with it. I am a beginner to aikido and was a bit nervous at first, since most of the classes are mixed, with beginners and advanced students training together. It can be intimidating grappling with a black belt on your very first day! But the vibe at the dojo is extremely supportive and welcoming, and beginners are treated with patience and gentleness. The whole atmosphere of the dojo is comfortable and friendly, and many of the students have been training there for years, so it feels like joining a family. There are beginner-​only classes on Monday nights, and I strongly encourage any new students to check those out, although it’s also important to attend the mixed classes. The dojo is a big supporter of kids learning aikido, so their offerings for younger students are extensive. I’m also happy with the pricing structure: An inexpensive monthly payment gets you unlimited classes, which makes it easy to work regular classes into my schedule.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I’m going to let you in on a secret. I decided that I wanted my daughter to know a martial art and signed her up for classes here. And even though she didn’t choose it, my headstrong young one likes it anyway. *A lot.* She adores Azzia Sensei (and really, with her incredibly kind and open nature, who wouldn’t?) and is learning a lot from her as well as the more advanced kids in the class. As others have said, this dojo is warm, welcoming and encouraging — I would highly recommend it to anyone of any age who wants to train in aikido.
Place rating: 5
Richmond, CA
I’m so happy to be practicing here. If this dojo were only special because of the excellent instruction by Nick Walker Sensei, it would still be a great dojo. Nick Sensei is a gifted and patient communicator and watching the grace with which he demonstrates Aikido is a treat.
However, why Shusekai is really special is because the entire community — from Nick Sensei, to manager Azzia Walker, to the senior students to (my) fellow beginners — is so remarkably kind and accepting to/​of one another. It’s a place where a beginner can safely let himself be clumsy while practicing, get a ton of instruction from Nick Sensei and senior students, but really feel at peace with being a beginner. There’s no pressure to master anything RIGHT NOW — it’s understood and emphasized that Aikido is a PRACTICE. To me, this spirit of acceptance of the process of learning embodies Beginner’s Mind, and I am so grateful for it. I can tend to be a perfectionist and my worst enemy when it comes to «not getting things right» immediately.
Here I feel like I can play and learn without frustration. It’s truly a special place, and I feel like I’m learning a lot and am improving quickly.
The senior students are also amazing — really dedicated to helping beginning students learn. Most practice sessions, a beginner is practicing with a senior student in order to practice with somebody who has a good understanding of the moves.
There’s not a single person here who is not a joy to practice with. If you’re a beginner or an advanced student wanting to take your practice to the next level, I can’t recommend Aikido Shusekai highly enough.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Training at Aikido Shusekai has been a wonderful experience, more helpful than anything else I’ve tried for dealing with all the physical and emotional stresses in my life. When I discovered this dojo about 2 years ago, I was out of shape and had recurring pain in my back and wrists. I was not sure if I would have the time or endurance to commit to regular training. After my first class, I sensed that the instructors and students here would work with me at my own pace. I also guessed that my back pain, wrist pain and the soreness I felt after practice would go away in a week or so. I was right on all counts. The community has been consistently welcoming, supportive and dedicated. The instructors have taught to my level of fitness and skill, offering a lot of individual attention. Since I started training there, I have become a parent and my responsibilities at work and at home have increased. I have had to cut many things from my schedule, but continue to train here because it greatly improves the quality of my life.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I am so grateful to have found Aikido Shusekai. I am in the process of healing from a scoliosis of the spine, and knew I needed talented instructors if I was to succeed injury-​free in a martial art.
Nick Walker-​Sensei and Azzia Walker-​sensei provide excellent, gentle instruction with a clear focus on maintaining the safety of one’s own body and, of course, one’s partner’s body as well. I am happy to report no injuries since joining the school in September, and the practice has already improved my body awareness and clarity of attention significantly. Every ranking student I have partnered with has been knowledgeable and a talented teacher in their own right, meaning that every time I go to class I have the opportunity to learn techniques from new perspectives.
Everyone I’ve met at Aikido Shusekai has been wonderfully warm and welcoming. Even if you do not feel fully confident in your body, you will be able to learn safely and at your own speed.
Place rating: 5
Emeryville, CA
I’ve been training with Aikido Shusekai for only about a month, but I’m already moving from the infatuation stage into true love with the dojo. When I decided to start Aikido, I knew I wanted to integrate an embodied practice into my life, but wasn’t sure how it would fit with my already busy schedule. That has turned out to be a non-​issue – both because I want to be there so badly it’s easy to give up other nonessential things, and because they offer 6 basic-​level adult/​teen classes at a range of times throughout the week.
More nice things:
–it’s in a warehouse, not a storefront, so you don’t have to be self-​conscious about the gazes of passers-​by.
–the people are incredibly friendly, welcoming, and encouraging (I thought on my first day that it might be a gimmick to draw me in, but it turns out that the energy is consistently awesome!). there is such a concentration of gifted teachers among the ranking students that it must be fostered by the organizational culture.
–the tone is a perfect (to me) balance of intensity and humor.
–they let you wear any color pants you want! seriously.
–classes are not for the most part back-​to-​back, so there is plenty of open-​mat time to practice.
Lastly – if you also are an activist interested in transformative justice practices, and are wondering whether Aikido, as practiced here, will feel like an embodiment of your principles – the answer – for me – has been heck yeah!
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Aikido Shusekai offers a friendly, safe and encouraging environment for my 9-​yo son to learn this martial art. It has been a joy to see these skills develop within his practice — physical coordination, confidence, mindfulness, responsibility, motivation, respect, and autonomy. He now schedules time to finish homework before practice, is aware of arriving promptly, makes sure that his gi is washed, and deliberately chooses healthy snacks before practice. Now to apply this to his world outside of the dojo…
We are grateful to be a part of the Aikido Shusekai community.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I bring my son to Aikido Shusekai’s kids’ class, and it has been a truly wonderful experience. Nick, Azzia and the other teachers teach with patience and warmth, and they work individually with the children to make sure they understand and can execute the techniques. They are firm but gentle with the kids, so that they understand that they are expected to focus. They encourage the kids to work with each other and help each other. I really love the atmosphere, and my son looks forward to every class.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
Classes at Aikido Shusekai are fun, engaging, and welcoming. We love working with Azzia and Nick so much that we have referred several families to Aikido Shusekai. Once you walk through the doors of Aikido Shusekai, you will be SO GLAD you did. Azzia and Nick are the embodiment of warmth and kindness and they inspire you to be your best self!
Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
Finest aikido instruction I’ve ever seen. Vibrant community.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
This is a great community of engaged, interesting people who are looking out for each other’s learning and growth– I feel like I’ve found my tribe. Nick Walker Sensei and Azzia Zur Sensei have an open-​ended experiential teaching style that is very welcoming to new students, with a deep capacity to direct our attention to ever more subtle layers and refinement of the techniques.
Practicing Aikido with the community and teachers of Shusekai is helping me to explore my edges, and learn a new way to engage with stressful situations without losing my center. Practicing these techniques is re-​patterning responses to conflict and stress from fight/​flight/​freeze into fluid, adaptive awareness.
In the rest of my life, I am finding myself alert and awake to the possibilities and creative options in stressful situations, instead of getting pre-​emptively nervous, anxious, or closing down. And I’m loving the women’s only classes!
I would say they are definitely living up to their guiding motto of «always training in a spirit of joy», and creating an environment that spreads ripples of goodwill and skillful engagement out into the world.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I decided to check out Aikido for the first time about six months ago, and the welcome, warmth, and kindness I encountered at Shusekai kept me coming back. From day one I felt allowed — even encouraged — to have no clue at all what I was doing. As such, my practice has deepened and improved in a most organic, delightful, and surprising way.
The basics classes I attend emphasize practice, not mastery, so I feel utterly free to take risks and try things countless different ways under the guidance of the extraordinary Nick Walker Sensei. Nick and the other teachers are wonderfully gifted in both the art itself and how they teach it: from a place of deep skill infused with great lightness and humor. It’s rare that most people on the mat aren’t at least grinning (and more often laughing — the smiles you see in the photos weren’t just for the camera!). Also, as students advance, they naturally morph into trusted teachers and guides for the newer students.
The coolest thing about Aikido is how it translates off the mat: there are inherent lessons about grounding, assertiveness, commitment, what is and isn’t worth our energy … and lots more. It’s also a subtly killer workout and a fantastic integration of mind and body.
Most exciting for me is the weekly women’s class recently begun by Azzia Zur, the spectacular dojo manager and teacher, whose infectious energy makes it impossible not to love learning this stuff. Practicing with all women has a very different and special quality — if you’re a woman looking to start a practice, this class is the perfect gateway.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I have just returned to the Shusekai Aikido dojo after 4 months of dedicated school work. Shusekai is a school of Aikido that focuses the spirit aiming to connect the mind and body deeply. There is a way of approaching the discipline and the study all Aikido which can be very philosophical — but not all schools allow for this. Shusekai is one that is very open to your needs. There is also a formal structure to the classes and yet there is a feeling of flexibility as well.
When I started Shusekai, actually Aikido in general, about 1 and ½ years ago I had previously participated in Korean martial arts for 4 — 6 months prefaced only by Isshinryu Karate as a pre-​teen. I don’t know whether Aikido calls to me directly or if more importantly I appreciate the Sensei’s teaching regardless of the style but I definitely feel something compelling about my experience with this dojo.
I also attend the Shusekai basics class and lab with Sensei Justin on Saturday afternoons. This is also a good class and I highly recommend it.
Update 4.11.11 — I forgot to mention I attend the Aikido lab no-​fall class with Sensai Eric in Ohlone Park on Wednesday evenings. It’s a nice change to be outside after spending most practice days inside the dojo. Right now the class is ‘lab-​like’ because we focus on reviewing techniques from the main Aikido class but I could see it branching out into more variety of kata, technique, no-​fall freestyle, and weapons training — there may even be an extra jo and bokken available for drop-​ins. Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
After a 5 year hiatus from Aikido, I attended a Shusekai class and felt right at home. My classmates are kind, encouraging and supportive at my lack of ability to perform Aikido techniques. Now that I’m back into it, I look forward to every class rain or shine. My wife says I’m more pleasant to be around after an Aikido session, so she encourages me to go. At the present moment, there is a special for the first month of classes: it’s free. Also, Shusekai is great for beginners and advanced students since there is a wide range of of experience within the dojo. I highly recommend Shusekai for Aikido practice!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Sensei Nick is a great teacher: patient, really experienced, and relaxed. He lets students learn at their own pace and always welcomes questions. The students are all very easy-​going and super nice. You feel welcomed every time you come to class! Highly recommend.