Experienced Students

If you are coming to North Star as an experienced practitioner of another martial art, you will find in aiki jiujitsu a very rich, detailed, and all-encompassing art that will likely augment and extend your current knowledge in many ways. We train a striking, locking, throwing, grappling, and pressure-point art that has incorporated elements of Filipino stick fighting, Japanese sword and jo-staff, and (at the higher ranks) Chinese saber.

The format of our classes is akin to Aikido and traditional aiki jiujitsu. After a 10-15 minute warm-up period, the instructor demonstrates and briefly explains the mechanics of a given technique while the class watches in seiza. We then break up into partners and drill the technique back-and-forth until the instructor lines the class back up to reinforce explanation of the technique, or to move on to a new technique. We practice anywhere between 1 and 5 techniques per class.

If you have rank in an art with a set of principles very different to ours, you will need to start your aiki jiujitsu training at white belt. If you have rank in a related art, please consult with Master Carrothers to discuss which rank you will start it.

Comparision To Other Arts

The guidelines below place our art along the spectrum of martial arts, to give experienced students an advanced feel for what our art may be like based on their prior experience. These points are not meant to imply that any other martial art or system is inferior in any way. You will quickly find out that our club has an appreciation for all martial styles.

Aikido: If you are coming from Aikido, you will likely find our art to be based on generally related principles, with similar graceful and fluid harmonization of energy. You will, however, find our art to be generally more destructive, as our philosophy aims to strike and cause pain compliance or unconsciousness as needed and as often as the opportunity presents itself.

Taekwondo/Karate: If you are coming from a striking/kicking art such as taekwondo or karate, you will find our distance to be much closer than you are used to. You will tend to begin "too far out" until you get used to starting techniques within striking range, with the distance already closed (in cases of wrist-grabs, headlocks, hair pulls, etc.) You will also find aiki jiujitsu to be quieter, as we do not kiai or kiap during application of techniques. We engage in less shugyo than you are likely used to, taking advantage of our time in class to work in detail with a partner, and drilling the repetitive basics on our own time. Having said that, you will still end up having had a good cardio workout by the time class is done, although it may not be to the level of intensity you are accustomed to.

Tai Chi: If you are coming from a health-centric Tai Chi program, you will likely recognize elements of your Tai Chi set being applied with martial significance. You will also feel quite at home, as Master Carrothers is also a Tai Chi Master and teacher.

Brazilian Jiujitsu: If you are coming from a ground-fighting art, such as wrestling or Brazilian/Gracie Jiujitsu, you will find that, as a principle, we prefer to stay on our feet at all times, and only resort to ground techniques when that principle does not hold up. You will find a large portion of our techniques to involve the same body mechanics and leverage you have learned to take advantage of on the ground, but while standing up whenever possible.

Wing Chun: If you are coming from Wing Chun, you will find that we train locks much sooner and traps much later than you are used to. The fast, redundant striking methods of Wing Chun are present in our art, although we limit consecutive strikes to two or three before "trying something else", usually a lock/takedown. Our forward stance, which is our most fundamental and most often used stance, at first may feel wider and more forward-weighted than you are used to.

Whatever your previous style, you will enjoy training under a teacher who enjoys answering any and all of your questions and who responds to critiques of technique in a friendly and open manner. We welcome all styles and philosophies and enjoy discussing the advantages and disadvantages of techniques in an objective manner.

What it Isn't

Competitive: There is no competition in our system. Let's be honest: if you are looking to win trophies, beat others in a sparring ring, or become the next UFC champ, our club is probably not for you. Our training is geared toward humble self-development and self-preservation, and not toward the boosting of the ego through the domination of others. More importantly, since we have retained all of the lethal techniques of traditional martial art, and recognize all of the body's most vulnerable target areas and vital points, our art by nature is unsuitable and unsafe for competition.

If you have Olympic sparring dreams, although aiki jiujitsu will not be a fulfilling path for you, our facility does host a world-class Olympic Taekwondo training program under Master Taylor. Please see our club contact page for further information about taekwondo training in the Sarnia area.

Ground-based: Although ground-based fighting systems are wonderful systems and arts in and of themselves, on principle we avoid going to the ground whenever it is possible to stay standing. We do have techniques that prepare you for ground-fighting; however, we recognize the nature of multiple-attacker situations and consider the ground to be a weak position in street self-defence.