New Students

Becoming a Student at Open Sky

Open Sky Martial Arts welcomes new students! Here’s what we suggest:

  1. Contact us! Reach out by email to introduce yourself and share your interest and questions in our school. You can also skip to #2 and…
  2. Visit us! Swing by to watch class and field questions during or just before class hours (we are not open 9-5). Letting us know in advance can help, but isn’t necessary.
  3. Skim the website! Understand a bit more about our school and whether we can meet your needs. Check out our diversity and inclusion policy, watch some aikido or tai chi videos on our Youtube channel, etc.
  4. Sign up / get started! After chatting and deciding to join…
    • Complete a practice waiver: Fill out and submit our school waiver either in person or over email (send to admin@openskymartialarts.com).
    • Pay initial dues: We have discounted starter packages for beginners to overcome some of the start-up costs of training – see below. See our dues page for costs after that.
    • Get a uniform: Aikido classes require a martial arts uniform (gi) to make mat work and practice safer. You can order your own (plain, white, medium weight at least) gi, or get one from us – we try to keep many sizes in stock. We’ll fit you at your first class; if we do not have your size we’ll order one for you. Members who wish to purchase a second (third, fourth…) gi may do so through us or on their own. Our school convention is as plain a uniform as possible (no patches or insignia).
    • NOTE COVID-19 vaccination previously required. During the pandemic, in keeping with many work settings, our dojo required COVID-19 vaccination of all students (our dojo was 100% vaccinated). Should another dangerous pandemic occur, we may return to this policy.
  5. Train! We recommend beginners practice two-three times per week if possible to maintain training momentum, retain vocabulary, make progress on conditioning, and internalize movements. Though there are beginner classes specifically for new students, think of that as a time for questions that came up during the week and more foundational training. The “normal” (non-foundations) classes are appropriate for new students. Our classes are always tailored to who’s attending. Semi-private instruction is inherent to the arts we offer.

We look forward to practicing with you!

Starter Packages for Aikido Beginners

Our school does not do long contracts. We have monthly dues for unlimited classes – though you can choose to pay multi-month (for mutual convenience) at a slight discount.

For beginners we offer one-time startup specials to help offset startup costs.

  • 2-mo. Beginner Special: $80, including uniform to keep. (Saves $80 dues and uniform cost)
  • 4-mo. Beginner Special: $300, including uniform to keep. (Saves $80 dues and uniform cost)

Pay for Beginner Startup Package Online*
(*NOTE: Please contact or visit us to discuss your new membership before making any payments!)

Starting in the Tai Chi Program

Unlike our Aikido program, Our Tai Chi program is organized into multi-week sessions. Students sign up for individual sessions, ideally attending all classes in a session. For more, see the Tai Chi page.