Women and Aikido

Women may be the West's most important contribution to Aikido.

We are delighted that women are well represented at Heart of San Francisco Aikido.

Although we are deeply grateful for the magnificent art of Aikido from Japan, we are very aware that women were barely included in its development. Even today in Japan, women are often ignored or overtly discouraged from practicing Aikido. In this country, most Aikido dojos are headed by men and have only a small minority of women training in them. This trend is beginning to change, especially on the west coast.

One of the primary purposes of Heart of San Francisco Aikido is to create a learning environment that is inspiring for women. We work hard on special outreach to women — offering special women's-only courses twice a year in the winter and summer — and a major part of the teaching we offer is done by women. We strive for excellence in women and seek to maintain a strong female blackbelt presence in our dojo community.

Getting Started

For women new to the art, please check the information about our beginner's classes, including our twice annual women's only beginner's class. Women of all ages are encouraged to join.

Women's Beginning Class Schedule

Please check our events calendar for the dates of the next Women's Beginning Class; they are typically offered in the Winter and Summer or Fall.

Price

$85 for 6 weeks.

Signing Up

You may register and pay online with your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express) or through a PayPal account. Please provide your address and telephone number as your shipping address so that we have your contact information on file.

The next Women's Beginner's Classs will be announced here.

Or you may mail a check for $85 made out to Heart of San Francisco Aikido. Please include your name, contact information, and the starting date of the class you would like to join.

Mailing Address

Please feel free to call Penny Sensei at (415) 643-8407 to discuss any questions you have about Aikido or our classes. Or check out our F.A.Q. for answers to frequent questions.