Olivia Jones

Junshidosha ITP, Purple Belt

Olivia started Aikido in 2017, by 2023 she had become a Brown belt in the Junior Teen program and a Junshidosha Candidate level ITP. She volunteers 4-5 hours and practices for 3-4 hours a week. She has attended multiple sleepover seminars and teen retreats (all of which were really fun). In 2019, Olivia was able to attend several classes at the Canadian Aikido Summer Camp with the Technical Director Osawa Shihan, 8^th Dan, from Hombu Dojo Japan, in Victoria. In addition, during the winter of 2020 she participated in a weeklong visit of the Big Rock Aikikai dojo in Calgary. “I initially joined Aikido because of the fun learning environment and the great people (and because it looked cool). I quickly learned that Aikido isn’t just a martial art, it is a state of mind and way of life. Aikido not only teaches you how to defend yourself physically, but also about respect and humility. Aikido compliments many different sports. When I practiced badminton I had to be agile, quick on my feet and have a strong sense of direction. Also, when I did fencing I got laser focused on what I was doing in order to adapt to different situations in relation to my opponent. These things are all used in the physical aspect of Aikido.”

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! When we found out he was starting Rock Water, it was a no-brainer; we wanted to be part of this great new adventure.

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