Punch, whiff, pivot, spin, throw - KA-BLAM! This is aikido, among the most beautiful and effective…read moremartial arts in the world. There are certainly arts that dispatch an opponent more directly, but most of those leave him shattered on the ground. Aikido is unique in its ability to calibrate response to an incoming attack in the service of inflicting no more harm than absolutely necessary to diffuse the situation. If that sounds awfully charitable among the world of fighting systems - it is. And mastery of that calibration requires study and self-control. In the bargain, the aikidoist gains a set of techniques - really a mode of operating in the world - that is applicable to an expansive range of human experiences, not just those that devolve into hand-to-hand combat.
I have been lucky enough to study at over a dozen different aikido schools during my 30-year career in the art. Aikido Schools of New Jersey (ASNJ) is distinctive for its warm, family-friendly atmosphere. If you're looking for the next hot MMA school to unleash your brutality and exert your dominance -- keep on scrolling. Walking into ASNJ you will find people of all different sizes and shapes smiling, laughing, supporting, and respecting one another. Sure, we're also wiping each other out on the mat, but we're doing that in the service of learning, growth, and mastery. ASNJ supports a robust adult program, weapons training, iaido, kid's classes, tai chi, meditation, and yoga. If you're looking to move your body and expand your mind, there's probably something going on there for you.
Note that aikido is also an excellent mode of full-body aerobic exercise. Big muscles, little muscles, core muscles, cardiovascular, circulatory - fall down and get back up 100+ times in an hour and you'll be feeling it for sure. ASNJ classes targeted at specific intensities help lots of different body types work up a lather in a way that is safe, comfortable, and fun.
Drop by, flop on a sofa, and check it out for yourself. You'll fall for us, guaranteed.