Meiwakan Aikido Boston

The teacher (Wes) is great. He has such passion for Aikido and has a great style of teaching. I especially like how he is able to break down techniques into its component and get us to practice those first so we can put it all together execute the bigger move by the end. The classes always feel very cohesive and each session builds on the previous. Would highly recommend for anyone interested in learning aikido.

Unforgettable first-time Aikido adventure! Instructors were attentive and friendly, fostering a charming and supportive atmosphere. Loved the emphasis on body awareness and balance. Perfect dojo for beginners seeking an enchanting martial arts experience. Highly recommended!

I have been attending classes here for about 6 months and love it! Everyone is very friendly and welcoming, and I like how the dojo teaches a wide mixture of techniques, from stretching and proper positions to throws, rolls, and sword techniques. It's generally a smallish group (6-12 people), so you get a lot of attention on proper technique. Would highly recommend!

Wes is an amazing teacher that finds a unique balance between rigour and friendliness. He teaches Meiwakan Aikido, which was founded in France based on the teachings of one of Morihei Ueshiba's (founder of Aikido) original students, Nobuyoshi Tamura, in a really fun but also rigorous way! His teaching style can be best described as circles within circles: every lesson teaches individual parts that come together in the end as a whole. The same is true for lessons over the weeks, as all lessons, open handed and with training weapons, integrate more and more parts, until you yourself are led to the deeply satisfying discovery of how it all fits together, or, as he would say it, "it's all the same". He's supportive and gives extremely constructive feedback, so that I enjoyed even the hardest lessons. A great aspect of his teaching is that you learn to put intent into every movement, where you constantly learn to focus on different aspects of the technique and your body, giving this aikido both a more martial art and meditative aspect to me. Occasional picnics, the current outdoor setting, the close knit but open group and jovial sensei give this dojo a family feeling instead of a business vibe, borne out of the endless passion Wes visibly puts into his Aikido.

This is my first time practicing Japanese martial arts. Sensei Wesley was not only knowledgeable to share the history and features of Meiwakan Aikido with us, but also "prove" to me the art of elegant force, which is hard as I'm a skeptical Asian woman and there are also experienced Aikido students participating in this group.