Konrad A.

Brooklyn Aikikai: Aikido Dojo

Brooklyn Aikikai is a very special place in that the Sensei lives in this dojo, which also offers zazen, or Japanese-style meditation. It's a very pure approach to martial arts training that's hard to find these days, the chance to learn from someone who's really devoted his life to the practice. I've also found the students a warm, fun-loving and eclectic community to be a part of.

Aikido is best known as "the martial art where you use the attacker's force against him/her." It's a modern embodiment of the Japanese martial arts which encompass judo, the samurai fighting arts, and zen. Japanese weapons training (sword and "jyo," which is a kind of staff/spear) is also offered to students when the teacher feels they're ready.

My "fitness history": For almost a decade I used to go to the gym, lift weights. I trained in Tae Kwon Do with an amazing teacher in Astoria for three years and competed at a few tournaments. I moved to Harlem and realized I'd gone as far as I wanted to with TKD.

By 2005 I had lost all motivation to lift weights up and down to pump up my muscles and to exert myself aimlessly in hamster machines in order to elevate my heart rate...I was looking for a martial arts practice, but one where my mind and body would be engaged for a purpose beyond sheer competition (and also not have to get injured all the time). And I simply Brooklyn Aikikai when I was walking around Park Slope/Gowanus. I quit my gym and after a year and a half I'm in great shape and am very happy to train there as much as I can.

If you've ever thought there's value to martial arts that are infused with a spiritual discipline, you owe it to yourself to have first-hand experience of it at some point in your life.It'll also definitely keep you in shape and give you a chance to develop ways of dealing with other people's physical aggression. It's rigorous training, - you don't just engage with air but with people - but it's not some sadistic, macho slugfest. The two most senior students there are women.

And at $115 a month for unlimited classes (and discounts for 6 months and a year), I don't know how you could do better.