Noelle Chang Zhelka

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Seishidosha, 1st Kyu, Intermediate Black Belt

I initially started aikido because my parents wanted me to be able to defend myself as I grew up. Since I first stepped into the dojo that day, I’ve found my second home of over 10 years. Although the teachings and training were amazing, it was the spirit, camaraderie and incredible new friends that made me want to stay. I have made some of my closest friends at aikido and am excited to keep growing with them.

I now have my Adult 1st Kyu, my Intermediate Black Belt and train 4 hrs a week and teach another 4 hrs to junior students, as I work towards my 1st degree adult Black belt. I attend as many seminars and retreats offered in Victoria as I can, and have also attended multiple aikido camps in Vancouver and Calgary.

During the week, I am active in a number of activities. I am a member of Island Ukuleles and have been playing with them for 8 years, performing all over North America. As well, I fence and have competed in the Canada Cup. I am also a member of the group Halt to Poverty where I have fund-raised for the homeless and educated younger students on issues of poverty. My busy schedule has taught me to be self-disciplined and focused.

I am excited about our dojo and look forward to growing Rock Water Aikikai.

Martin Sensei has an amazing knowledge of Aikido but more than that, he is patient and absolutely wonderful with the kids! Both my 6 year old daughter and 9 year old son are loving working with Martin and I very much recommend joining Rock Water Aikikai!

Our 10-year-old daughter joined Martin Sensei’s classes last year and immediately soaked up his professionalism and commitment to Aikido. She has taken up the warrior ethic to give herself new confidence, and practices on her own during these challenging times. Thank you Martin Sensei

Martin is very committed to training his young students. He gave a lot of his personal time keeping classes going during COVID. My daughter progressed successfully to her next belt level despite the closure of her indoor dojo for several months.

My 15 year old daughter had tried several different sports and activities in the past but couldn’t seem to find the ‘right’ fit until 3 years ago when she started Aikido. Aikido provides her with physical activity, leadership opportunities, a friendship group and sense of community. During COVID it was the one activity she missed most and was happy to know that Rock Water Aikikai acknowledged this sentiment in their students and quickly adapted to help maintain mental health by offering classes outdoors and following health and safety guidelines. The instruction is about respect, focus and determination but also offers many opportunities to engage and have fun in a non-competitive manner. Student agency is fostered and honored. Rock water Aikikai offers a wonderful wholistic experience for their community.

Our family loves martial arts! We did Kung Fu for a number of years and I was therefore very skeptical about Aikido because it’s so different than the typical martial art class, but that was before I met Martin Moreau and witnessed his quality as an instructor. He’s very engaging, the kids are clearly having a good time, are breaking a sweat almost every class and I’ve noticed a clear improvement in my kids ability to defend themselves when we play wrestle. Martin is a one of those rare instructors that inspires respect and loyalty in his students. He’s humble, listens to the feedback provided to him by the kids and the parents. Simply put, he’s amazing!

I am so happy that we found Rock Water Aikido for my 6 year old son. He has never done Aikido before, but even the first day when he had a try-out, he really enjoyed it and wanted to come back. We really appreciate the calmness of the class with fun activities. Our son learns not only physical skills but practices virtues and ethics which is so beneficial - I wish I could attend. I can feel Martin Sensei's passion for Aikido and he has great assistant teachers that my son enjoys learning from. I am so fortunate to find this place, attending a class twice a week is not enough! Thank you again for all your hard work, Martin Sensei!

I’ve never seen him so enthusiastic about an activity ever. He’s found his “thing” and loves sharing what he’s learning and is so motivated to keep practising. What (Rock Water Aikikai) is offering is world class.

My 2 boys joined the dojo after an intro class. One was hesitant to join, he's very athletic but also bulky in build so often shy's away from new physical activities. Since joining 2 months ago his self-confidence and body issues have already started to improve. I also really appreciate the language diversity - as a French Canadian married to a Japanese Canadian - our childen have a space that sounds like home.

My daughter has just told me that she finally found her "thing". Being with Rock Water Aikikai has instilled so much confidence, self discipline and self awareness in my daughters character. She brings home the weekly virtues, putting them into daily practice. She looks forward to every class working toward the next attainable goal, the next stripe on her belt. She speaks so highly of the kind, warm and patient teachers and how comfortable and at home she feels when she goes to Aikido. We can't say enough about how much this program is enriching my daughter's life.

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