About the Dojo

Aikido Mushin is a small dojo affiliated with Hombu Dojo through the California Aikido Association. The chief instructor (dojo-cho) at Hombu Dojo is Mitsutero Ueshiba, the great-grandson of the founder of Aikido - Morihei Ueshiba O’Sensei.

Aikido Mushin is the name of our dojo, not a special style of Aikido.  Mushin is a Zen term that is usually translated as “no mind” and refers to simultaneous thought and action.  In the English language, the term would be "second nature". It is only through diligent ongoing training that one's mind and body start to act together. When someone practices movement, whether it be a martial art, playing a musical instrument, dance, skiing, or anything else, at some point the person transcends pure technique and becomes immersed in complex movements – adjusting from millisecond to millisecond.  Almost everyone who practices something to become more proficient, experiences this if even for a moment.

In terms of a martial art, if you think and then act, the action will be delayed and less than fully effective.  Mushin is the ideal result of continued practice, whether it be a martial art, dancing, music, or any other activity.

Our Instructors

Philip Wiener (6th dan) is the dojo-cho, or chief instructor. He has been studying Aikido for over 50 years, having started in 1971. His sensei is Frank Doran Shihan (8th dan).

Location and Training Schedule

We train at the OC Training Studio, 33155 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. The dojo is about a mile north of the Capistrano Beach Costco. 

We train on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. There are also impromptu week-end training sessions in local parks or at the beach.

Cost

Instructors do not receive compensation. The monthly fee of $85 is paid directly to the dojo at which we train, and money goes to the Well Rounded Heroes Foundation, a non-profit and partially tax deductible organization which helps active military and veterans. Go to http://www.wellroundedheroes.org for information about the foundation.

Veterans and active military personnel train for free.

There is no mat fee for Aikidoka who occasionally visit the dojo.

New Students

It is recommended that prospective students who are unfamiliar with Aikido observe a class before joining the dojo. New students who have previously studied Aikido can just jump right in and train with us.

For the first month or so, loose-fitting clothing such as sweats, are entirely acceptable. After a month of training, students should obtain a gi to train in. We can recommend some martial arts supply stores in Orange County as well as internet stores.

For information about our dojo, contact:

Philip Wiener
Cell: 949-525-6260
email: info@aikidomushin.com

 

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