About us
For us, Aikido is joy, art, versatile development, balance in the city rush, alchemy workshop, smart gym, non-violent self-defense, constructive conflict resolution, a place to recharge energy, practice principles for everyday life and place to meet interesting people.
We have about 200 members in our club – all ages and levels. We have aikido classes every day, we organize seminars with top teachers from abroad, we travel for aikido around the world. In our daily training we combine traditional Japanese methods with modern approaches of body and mind development.
In many ways, we are a world class aikido club.
FAQ
We are a large and well-established club with 150 members (around 80 adults and 70 children). Roughly 30% of our members are women. Children and youth train in four age groups, and as they grow, they gradually advance until they join the adults. We offer 20 hours of training a week led by ten teachers with high degrees of technical ranking and education. During training, we use both traditional and modern teaching methods, treating Aikido as general development for the body, mind, and interpersonal relationships. Our club holds five international seminars a year led by world-class international teachers. We offer weekly summer school and organize special seminars and workshops for children and teenagers. As teachers, we are also constantly furthering our own education, traveling the world for inspiration. Outside of training, we meet for canoeing, daytrips, in pubs after training…
In Aikido it is useless to compare oneself with others—we hold no competitions to prove who is best. Nevertheless, if you consider the extent of our activities and the richness of our approach to Aikido, you are unlikely to find a similar club in Prague.
Aikido is suitable for both men and women, and our participants range from five to sixty years old. No prior physical training is necessary. Children and youth are divided into four age categories: 5–7, 8–10, 11–12 and 13–16; those over 17 train with the adults.
Yes! Over the years, many internationals have trained with us. When English speakers are present, the teacher holds the training bilingually. Simply get in touch with us and we will discuss how to integrate you. Unfortunately, we are not offering any English-speaking training for children at this time, although we are happy to communicate with parents in English, should you have a Czech-speaking child.
We hold three-month beginner courses for adults three times a year. If you have trained Aikido before, or if the schedule of the beginner courses doesn’t work for you, please write to and we will discuss how we can connect.
Working with children is very important to us. We witness Aikido help children grow into independent and self-aware adults who know how to create a place for themselves in society.
Children and teenagers train in age groups of 5–7, 8–10, 11–12 and 13–16. Each group has around 15 children and meets either once or twice a week. Training is usually led by a teacher and an assistant, so children have ample individual attention; we try to develop relationships with parents, too. Throughout the year, we organize a fall international seminar held in Prague, a spring workshop held on a farm near Litoměřice, and a summer trip to the Slovak mountains. Some of the older youth also attend training and seminars for adults.
Visit our page training for children, then find your child’s age category and the desired time slot. If spaces are available, simply fill out our registration form and we will get in touch with you. At this time, we are only training with children in Czech, although we are happy to communicate with English-speaking parents. If you need any additional information, please write an email to.
All our teachers have a high degree of technical ranking (black belt) granted by a worldwide premier Aikido organization, Aikikai Hombu Dojo, and are certified as trainers by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education. Martin Švihla, our main teacher, has practiced Japanese martial arts since 1988 and holds fourth dan from Aikikai Hombu. He studied to be an Aikido trainer at university and is now a class one trainer. Martin Švihla also studied Shiatsu, a Japanese form of energy message, and other therapeutic techniques. Our teachers receive further training from the Czech Federation of Aikido. We continue to grow as teachers and as people at seminars led by international teachers, whom we regularly invite to Prague. To gain experience and inspiration, we also visit clubs and seminars in Japan and throughout Europe.
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can find many photos of our activities on our photoblog, on Facebook or on Instagram. Videos from trainings and seminars are posted to YouTube.
Every year we publish a richly illustrated newsletter, where you can find lots of other information.
If you would like to know about the organizations we work with, have a look at our partners.
If there is anything else you would like to know, do not hesitate to contact us directly.
We like good company and good food, so they have an important place in our club. Usually we go for a meal at a pub not far from the Sokol, but sometimes we go somewhere else—to try burgers, for example, or new specialties in the area. Once in a while, our members even brew their own beer—and then we get to taste it at our weekly summer school at Vysočany!
Aikido Prague Vinohrady
Our programs for beginners
Are you between thirteen and sixteen? Looking for a martial art that doesn’t require strength? Aikido uses an opponent’s energy to your advantage–come train with us!
Aikido for children means fun physical movement and versatile education. Three age categories from 5 to 13 years old. Under the guidance of qualified teachers!
Healthy exercise, self-confidence, contact with others and a path to yourself… Learn the fundamentals of aikido in the comprehensive 3‑month course for beginners!
