DOJO SPOTLIGHT:
AIKIDO NEW LONDON COUNTY

Say hello to Crystal Aldrich

Chief Instructor, Aikido New London County

4th dan, Fukushidoin

316 Boston Post Road

Unit 11

Waterford, CT 06385

www.aikidonlc.com

Some interesting facts about Crystal:

Crystal began Aikido under Rick Stickles Shihan at Aikido Schools of New Jersey (ASNJ). She was his only female deshi, warmly referred to as "the deshette". She was also his otomo, traveling across the US and internationally.
She came to Aikido for self-defense.
Crystal is a career Sensei. In 2014, she was paid to run, manage, and direct programs at Aikido North Jersey. She remained there until the pandemic.
Her dojo has been in the works since 2020, but due to Covid, it officially opened on August 20, 2023. Within the first six months, she grew it to 40 students..

Tell us something about yourself/profession/background:

I'm a career sensei. I've been paid to manage a dojo since 2014. I love it and it's hard but I feel it's my calling. I did an Aikido apprenticeship for six years under the late Richard Stickles Shihan, who was a full-time Aikido teacher. He gave me a solid base for running a dojo. After that I worked for Jerry Zimmerman Shihan of Aikido North Jersey. He helped me become capable of running my own dojo. I'm so very thankful to both of these Sensei.

What do you consider some of your greatest achievements as dojo cho?

It's hard to see your value while you're in the middle of it. Many people have expressed they are impressed with how I've grown my dojo so quickly. I'm very pleased to see the balance between my adult and children's programs, and that my adult population is young and half of them are women. It gives me hope that Aikido is flourishing. I'm also really proud of my students. Seeing their growth this past year both on and off the mat is really impressive. I've also hosted three successful seminars in my first year open. These were well received and well attended. I strive to be diverse by including junior instructors as well as fellow female Aikidoka so they can grow and develop for our future.

What have been some of your biggest challenges as dojo cho?

Emails and paperwork. I didn't realize how much writing was required of a Sensei. I've had a few frustrations along the way. Some people, from all parts of my life, have said some very unexpected things to me. It has been heartbreaking and frustrating but it's required me to really work on myself. The hardest part of being a dojo cho is finding your center on and off the mat. In 2008, I wrote a paper for Stickles Sensei. It had a line that said, "The search for my center will make me the eye of my own storm." He loved it then, and it really resonates now. Sometimes running a dojo can have the chaos of a storm, especially when starting from scratch.

Are you working on any aikido-related projects?

Many! I have two Children's Aikido books in the works. I'm working with the International Aikido Federation's Youth Working Group to help facilitate growth for young people in Aikido. We have a children's seminar coming up. I consult for dojos to help with their growth and programming. My newest project for 2024-2025 is a Patreon to make that information accessible for everyone. March 2024 was the first step towards my "Dojos helping Dojos" project. My goal is to make this a nonprofit that helps traditional martial arts like Aikido grow.

What works best for you to attract new students?

Be present and available. Talk less and let them experience the practice/space. The "product" (aikido) is already amazing. You're just connecting to people.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

One of the thoughts I've been working with is taking ownership/responsibility for my path. As a Sensei, you set the tone for your dojo. If you're not happy with your current space, ask yourself, "What can I change?" If you're not happy with the world in front of you, how can you create the desired energy within your sphere of influence. If it's right and just it will be infectious.

A Bit About Aikido New London County

How many days per week does your dojo have classes?

How many classes are available per week?

Do you have a children's program? If so, what are the ages and what else would you like to share?

Do you have specialized classes, such as no falling classes, Veteran's classes etc?

What is unique to your dojo space?

We have classes 6 days per week

There are 22 classes available per week

We start as young as 2.5 based on an interview. We offer three age groups of children's classes. My dojo's main goal is to make Aikido accessible for all.

We are working on an improved mobility class.This is a class for people who want the benefits of Aikido but are hesitant to join. We also offer meditation as well as "self defense & shop" nights free to the community. We also have a small children's meditation group in between our beginner and intermediate kids classes.

We are a school that's modern enough to be accessible to today's mentality, yet still holds many of the aspects of a traditional dojo. I really appreciate the blending of the two energies.

DOJO SPOTLIGHT: AIKIDO NEW LONDON COUNTY