NOLA Aikido

Whether you're curious about Aikido or a seasoned practitioner, the NOLA Aikido community will welcome you warmly. Everyone nourishes each other's practice and inspires development, growth, and even play! And to anyone who has never practiced Aikido: I highly recommend attending a free class to discover how you feel about the art. For me, Aikido provides the perfect self-care routine because it fulfills physical exercise needs, social engagement, and an opportunity to develop spiritual and mindfulness practices in a pragmatic and active way. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place, its instructors, and the practice itself. Give it a try!

Words cannot express how happy we have been with my 9 year old son's experience at NOLA Aikido. Brian Sensei and the whole community are very patient and wonderful with children. My son has learned so much and practicing Aikido has been a really important part of his development. We love NOLA Aikido!

We LOVE NOLA Aikido! My 11-yo looks forward to every practice session. As a parent, I appreciate how family-oriented the studio is: parents are always welcome to observe classes and Sensei Brian is very attuned to each student's strengths and needs. I especially love the way Aikido is a practice of both physical and mental mindfulness and agility, and Sensei Brian uses lessons to reinforce concepts of self-regulation and self-awareness, in ways that relate even off the mat. The monthly membership is reasonably priced and functions similarly to a yoga studio membership- kids are encouraged to attend as many classes as they like! Overall, the studio is a warm, welcoming, and encouraging space- a true MidCity gem!

My 10 year old son has been a student of Brian Sensei/Laura Sensei/NOLA Aikido since the beginning of the pandemic and has become quite fond of the practice of Aikido. Pride, concentration, confidence, patience, and kindness are just a few of the positive results we have noticed over the years. Our child has immersed himself in the Japanese culture by beginning his journey into learning the language and dreams of visiting Japan someday soon. We are so proud of the hard work and focus from the teachers, adults, and children of the dojo and our son plans on continuing his journey with this martial art at NOLA Aikido!

NOLA Aikido is like a second home. The instructors and other students are incredibly welcoming, supportive, and provide a safe environment to practice and thrive. Once you join, you'll immediately feel part of the community which is richly diverse- gender, race, age etc. I've practiced at a number of other dojos and none can compare to NOLA Aikido in the amount of encouragement, depth of instruction, and positive culture which makes NOLA Aikido so uniquely special. Come see for yourself!