Cultivating the Younger Aikido Generation

How it began

I began aikido as a young boy - it changed my life.  It gave me direction in the countless distractions of teenage life.  The dojo’s traditional ways instilled discipline and patience.  The challenging journey to black belt gave me the fire to meet life’s challenges with courage and the calm to meet life's struggles with a level head.  I have weathered more than 35 years with my aikido community and its unfailing support has taught me about compassion, generosity and forgiveness. 

My mission since I opened BigRock Aikikai has been to give the gift of the aikido journey to other young people so that it may enrich their lives as it has mine. 

Our technical curriculum takes young ones through many milestones beginning at white belt and culminating at black belt.  Each level is more challenging than the last.  Steps are small but meaningful nonetheless.  Balance, posture, efficiency of movement, power, self control, focus, awareness, composure!

The BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program nurtures leadership in our dedicated young students.  The challenges faced by teachers are numerous.  We give our young instructors the skills to be leaders, on and off the mat.  Through the ranks they earn the respect of the students they are teaching and the respect of their peers alike.  Our teachers are sincere, reliable, caring and generous.

 - Steve Erickson

What we need now

Our aikido community is rich with senior members who have dedicated their lives to developing their skills and building the relationships that help to bind us together and support us in our endeavours.  They are an invaluable piece of the puzzle we are attempting to assemble.  Their leadership will be critically important as we navigate the next decade.

The missing piece of the puzzle right now is a younger generation of aikido students.  It takes years (decades maybe) of dedicated, sincere training to develop meaningful skills.  We need to cultivate this younger generation now in order to have a population to draw from to make future leaders down the road.  Afterall, who is going to inherit our art?

If you are an aikido instructor who is equally motivated in cultivating the younger generation of aikido students and would like to work collectively toward a future that has tatami filled with young people, please feel free to contact sensei Steve Erickson.

Add info here on Budo Accelerator and a link!

 

Our Young Aikido Leaders

 


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Jordan Dub

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Junior Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 1st Dan
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Junshidosha (junior instructor)
Bio - Jordan Dub began Aikido in 2002 at the age of 5 with Y. Inaba Sensei of Calgary Aikikai.  He soon began training under Dan Jones sensei of Aikido Tanren Juku. Over the years Jordan was always eager to participate in everything Aikido had to offer which included weapons classes, instructor training, community events, overnight seminars and summer camps. Jordan is a great junior instructor - younger students seem to be drawn to him as he has a special spirit and talent when working with younger members of the dojo. In 2012, Jordan achieved the U18 rank of brown belt and joined BigRock Aikikai's teen and instructor training programs.  He also trained in the Young Adult and Adult program accumulating over 3000 hours on the mat.  Jordan received his junior black belt in 2015.  He has attended several CAF summer camps and seminars with Osawa Sensei and under the guidance of Steve Erickson sensei passed his shodan test in March 2020 with the CAF examination committee.  Currently, Jordan is part of the teaching team at our Cardel Rec Centre Dojo. Outside of aikido, Jordan is working towards becoming a police officer and enjoys cycling and online gaming in addition to volunteering in our community at Inn from the Cold and other organizations.

Video to come ...


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Nolan Litwin

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Intermediate Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 1st Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Seishidosha (full instructor)
Bio - Nolan began Aikido when he was only 6 years old in 2005. Nolan is one of the most dedicated, thoughtful and experienced students to complete the U18 program at BigRock Aikikai. Through perseverance and dedication Nolan earned his Intermediate Black Belt in the U18 program before graduating to the Young Adult and Adult program. He has continued his strong work ethic into the Young Adult and Adult program, where early in 2020 he achieved his 1st Kyu rank. He has dedicated over 1500 hours and 12 years just to volunteering in the instructor training program and now holds the highest rank of Seishidosha. Nolan has brought the strong traits he learned as an ITP and has managed to become a successful swimming coach, lifeguard, and is currently completing an engineering degree from the University of Calgary. Because of his perseverance, he has become a Chief Instructor at the Cardel Rec Centre Dojo and is also a member of the BigRock Aikikai Board of Directors.

 


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Erik Schroeder

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Advanced Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 2nd Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Seishidosha Candidate (candidate for full instructor)
Bio - Erik Schroeder started practicing aikido at the age of 7 in 2008 at BigRock Aikikai. After four years of diligent training, Erik was invited to join the Instructor Training Program. Since then, Erik has been teaching in the U18 program at BigRock Aikikai on a weekly basis and has achieved the rank of Seishidosha Candidate. In September 2017, Erik was promoted to Junior Black Belt, then Intermediate Black Belt in October 2019 and finally Advanced Black Belt in August 2020. His promotion to Adv. Black Belt made him the second student ever to have completed the U18 program at BigRock Aikikai - an incredible accomplishment demonstrating an exceptional degree of dedication and perseverance. In addition, Erik has achieved the rank of Nana Dan Kai in the Weapons program and 2nd Kyu in the internationally recognized Young Adult and Adult program.

Video to come ...

 


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Dylan Gordon

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Junior Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 1st Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Seishidosha (full instructor)
Bio - Dylan began his Aikido training in 2005 at the age of 8 and has practiced more than 2500 hours since then. He began his training at BigRock Aikikai under the direction of Steve Erickson Sensei at the Cardel Rec Centre Dojo. While practicing in the U18 program, he achieved the rank of junior black belt in 2015 at which point he began training more predominantly in the adult class, and in 2020 earned the CAF rank of 1st Kyu after a year of intensive preparation. Dylan joined the instructor training program in September 2008 and achieved the rank of Seishidosha (full instructor) in 2019. He has since become a chief instructor at the Cardel Rec Centre Dojo in 2020 while still remaining an assistant instructor to Steve Erickson Sensei at BigRock Aikikai's main dojo.


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Hollywood

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Intermediate Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 1st Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Seishidosha Candidate (candidate for full instructor)
Bio - Gabriel Audra, known as Hollywood to most people at the dojo, has been a diligent student at BigRock since he was six years old. After nine years of practice in the U18 program he was awarded the rank of jr. black belt in 2018 and then int. black belt in 2019. He participated in weapons classes for many years, and was one of few to reach the rank of Nana dan kai, becoming an assistant instructor in the class after this promotion. Hollywood entered the Young Adult and Adult program in his early teens and worked diligently to climb the ranks, challenging himself weekly. This hard work paid off, as he tested for his 1st kyu in front of members of the Canadian Aikido Federation Exam Committee at BigRock Aikikai's 2020 winter seminar and passed with much success. His leadership, determination and grit are apparent in his practice and have made him a reliable and talented instructor. In 2013 Hollywood joined the Instructor Training Program the way many students have - arriving at the dojo an hour before his own class to assist with the class before it. After years of working with students and other instructors, he has demonstrated endless patience and exceptional leadership, assisting Steve Erickson sensei at the main dojo as a seishidosha candidate, a rank achieved in 2019. Hollywood has spent a staggering total of 2500 hours on the mat. Outside of the dojo, Hollywood is a student, finishing his grade 12 year and hoping to attend university in the next year. He participates in track and field and enjoys many outdoor activities. 

 


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Max Webber

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Intermediate Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 2nd Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Seishidosha (full instructor)
Bio - Max Webber started his practice of Aikido alongside his sister Grace Webber at the age of 6 in 2009. He instantly found a strong connection to the activity and continued his practice diligently on a weekly basis at BigRock Aikikai. After four years of training, he was invited to join the Instructor Training Program (ITP) after his promotion to Blue Belt and has been a part of the program since. Max achieved the rank of Seishidosha in early 2021 and continues to teach several times a week at BigRock Aikikai and Aikido Tanren Juku. In addition to teaching, he achieved his Junior Black Belt in the U18 program in 2018 and his Intermediate Black Belt in 2019. Max has also practiced in the weapons program and reached Ni Dan Kai in 2018. Since 2016, he has practiced several times a week in the internationally recognized Young Adult and Adult class and is currently 2nd Kyu. Outside of Aikido, Max frequently exhibits leadership skills he learned from the ITP in a variety of applications, and was nominated for the Alberta Premier Citizen award by his highschool in 2020. He also is a passionate woodworker, and a collection of his works can be seen in use at BigRock Aikikai.


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Grace Webber

Under 18yrs Class Rank: Junior Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 3rd Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Seishidosha (full instructor)
Bio - Grace Webber began her Aikido journey with BigRock Aikikai in 2009 at the age of eight years old under the direction of Sensei Steve Erickson. Her passion for Aikido became quite obvious early on and led her to accomplish much in her 1900 hours of practice at the dojo. In 2019, Grace was awarded her Junior Black Belt after ten years of vigorous Aikido training. Her perseverance was most evidently displayed in her ability to have reached 3rd Kyu in 2020; a year plagued with many obstacles. Grace’s dedication towards her practice also extends to the Instructor Training Program. Grace entered the program after being awarded her blue belt and became one of the first students to reach the rank of Seishidosha, the highest rank in the program. With over 1100 hours in the Instructor Training Program, Grace has become an essential member of the teaching group, regularly teaching her own classes and substituting for senior instructors. In 2020, Grace became a Chief Instructor of the U18 Program at Aikido Tanren Juku. In 2019, Grace joined the BigRock Aikikai Board of Directors, creating a voice on the board for the U18 Program. Outside of Aikido, Grace is currently completing an undergrad in Anthropology at the University of Calgary and enjoys painting and many outdoor activities. A strong advocate for female equality inside and outside of the dojo, she is a leader of the Ferocious & Female Initiative at Bigrock Aikikai.


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Alex

Under 18yrs class rank: Junior Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 5th Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Junshidosha (junior instructor)
Bio - Alex has been training at BigRock Aikikai since January of 2010. Through dedicated practice she achieved the rank of Junior Black Belt in September 2020 and is diligently training towards her Intermediate Black Belt. Alongside her U18 ranks, Alex has achieved her 5th kyu in the Young Adults and Adults class. Since 2015, Alex has been teaching younger students through the BigRock Aikikai’s ITP program and currently holds the rank of Junshidosha. She has also received her 7th level (Nana Dan Kai) in the weapons program and continues to teach and practice on a weekly basis at BigRock Aikikai's main dojo.

Video to come ...


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Cassandra

Under 18yrs class rank: Junior Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 5th Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Junshidosha (junior instructor)
Bio - Cassie, as everyone at the dojo calls her - is a hard-working, perseverant person who is kind and respectful to everyone. She began Aikido with Steve Sensei at BigRock Aikikai when she was five years old, in 2012, and has been practicing diligently since. Through the years she has progressed through the U18 ranks and passed her junior black belt test at only thirteen years of age, making her one of the youngest to earn this rank. Along with her junior black belt, she earned the rank of 5th kyu within the Canadian Aikido Federation. Cassie has been a part of the BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program for 4 years and is currently at the level of Junshidosha. She has become an essential part of teaching the younger classes and continues to teach and train weekly at BigRock Aikikai. Outside of the dojo, Cassie trains in Irish Dancing, which she has done since 2016.


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Elizabeth

Under 18yrs class rank: Junior Black Belt
Canadian Aikido Federation Rank: 3rd Kyu
BigRock Aikikai Instructor Training Program Rank: Junshidosha (junior instructor)
Bio - Elizabeth began her aikido training in January of 2010 at the age of six years old. She persevered through the belt ranks, and in 2014 Elizabeth joined the ITP program. Elizabeth developed many leadership skills, which she expanded upon over the years, and is now a senior ITP with the rank of Junshidosha. In 2015 she left for two years while her father worked overseas but returned to continue her training in May of 2017. Her commitment and dedication have enabled her to become a reliable ITP and an incredible role model for many students at BigRock Aikikai.  Elizabeth tested for her junior black belt at the age of 16 and has over 1400 hours. She has also achieved the weapon's rank of Ni Dan Kai and has her 3rd kyu in the adult class as of August 2020. In October 2020, she began to teach the evening cardel classes alongside Dylan Gordon and Nolan Litwin as an ITP. Outside of aikido, Elizabeth participated in Karate classes and enjoys military history and various sports and outdoor activities.