Schedule

Wednesday, Thursday: 6:15 - 7:30 PM. Saturday: 4:15-5:30 PM.

Wednesday and Thursday classes are traditional openhand classes, 6:00-6:15/4:00-4:15 is reserved for beginner practice to learn footwork, back falls, and rolls.

On Saturday we hold our beginner openhand classes where we teach the basic principles and techniques such as footwork and kihon waza (fundamentals).

Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday classes are held at an off campus location, visitors please contact Leslie Russek at lrussek@clarkson.edu for more information, and we ask that all prospective students watch a class before being allowed to participate.

Sunday: 4:30 - 5:30 PM.

On Sunday we have our weapons class, where we study the use of weapons to learn Aikido principles, this summer we are practicing Saotome Sensei's Two Sword kata.

Sunday Classes during the semester are held in the Clarkson University Fitness Center; for directions, see our directions page.

Chief Instructor: Leslie Russek (6^th Dan)

Leslie started Aikido in 1984 with Charlie Page, when Baltimore had two classes a week in a church basement. As a result, she trained regularly in the DC dojo when Saotome Sensei was there in the 80’s. In 1988, she moved to Vermont, where she trained with Terry Dobson for several years, before returning to Baltimore to train with Chuck Weber and Charlie Page. In 1997, she moved to Potsdam, NY, where she opened Musubi Aikido of Potsdam (formerly North Country Aikido), which evolved from being a college club at Clarkson University to a proper (small) dojo. Her career as a physical therapist and PT professor have influenced her approach to Aikido training and teaching. She is always thinking of ways to move in harmony with the body, avoiding injury and instilling a love of movement and life-long learning. She was recently promoted to 6^th dan in Aikido Schools of Ueshiba.

Assistant Instructor: Alex Christiansen (2^nd Dan)

All abilities welcome; non-Clarkson participants welcome.