Junior Aikido is a fun, structured way for children to build confidence, coordination, and respect for others—while learning a unique and effective art.
Our classes focus on correct movement, cooperation, and personal development rather than competition. Children learn how to fall safely, move with balance, and respond calmly to challenges, all within a supportive and encouraging environment.
A positive environment
We place strong emphasis on creating a welcoming atmosphere where every child feels included. Progress is individual, and students are encouraged to develop at their own pace.
Benefits beyond the mat
Aikido helps children develop skills that carry into everyday life:
- Improved focus and listening
- Increased self-confidence
- Better physical coordination and fitness
- Respect for others and teamwork
- Calmness under pressure
What children will learn
- Basic Aikido techniques adapted for younger students
- Safe falling and rolling (ukemi) to build confidence and body awareness
- Balance, coordination, and posture
- Respect, discipline, and positive behaviour
- Working with partners through cooperation rather than competition
Regular practice improves mobility, flexibility, stamina, and strength, all without the strain of competitive or combative training.
Why children take to it so naturally
Children have a head start on adults.
Adults arrive at Ki Aikido carrying years of doubt, fear, and ingrained habit. Much of their practice becomes unlearning — peeling back the layers that life has added.
Children don’t have so many of those layers yet. When asked to think in a particular way, they simply do it. They’re open, receptive, and naturally powerful in ways most adults have forgotten. The results can be remarkable.
What children gain
Junior Ki Aikido students develop:
- Self-confidence — not through dominance, but through a deep sense of inner stability
- Calmness under pressure — the ability to stay composed when things get difficult
- A positive outlook — non-aggressive, non-reactive, genuinely resilient
- Practical tools — for handling real situations, including conflict and peer pressure
And yes — they also get to slide across the mat on their knees at speed and have a brilliant time doing it.
The bigger picture
Growing up is full of noise.
Social media. Celebrity culture. Peer pressure. Status anxiety. These forces shape how young people see themselves and the world — often before they’ve had a chance to form their own view.
Ki Aikido offers something different: a consistent, quiet practice that reinforces a child’s natural sense of self, at exactly the age when that sense is most at risk of being lost.
Give them something that lasts.
The confidence, calm and openness your child develops through Ki Aikido won’t stay on the mat — they’ll carry it into classrooms, friendships, and everything that comes after.
Safeguarding
Please visit our safeguarding page to learn how we keep junior members and vulnerable adults safe.
Find a junior class
Many clubs offer clubs for juniors (5 – 13 years old) and youths (14 – 17 years old). Other clubs may be persuaded to if you ask them. Contact your local club to enquire about junior classes.