Florida Aikido Center Adds New Yoga & Karate Programs to its Class Schedule

Sept. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Tampa, FL –  Florida Aikido Center  - http://www.flaikidocenter.com -  today announced the addition of two new programs – Amarit Yoga and Seidokan Karate – to its portfolio of martial arts and wellness classes. Scheduled to officially begin on September 7th, the two programs will share the 2,000 square foot facility just north of the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry campus with classes in the Japanese martial arts of Aikido, Kobudo and Iaido.  

The Amrit Yoga at Florida Aikido Center is taught on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30 to 6:15pm by Andrea College, a 10-year practitioner of yoga and meditative arts. Amrit Yoga is a style based on the teachings of Yogi Amrit Desai that focuses on cultivating mental clarity and meditative awareness, as well as physical strength and flexibility. Sessions are structured to make use of all parts of the practitioner’s being, providing a workout that is both physically invigorating and mentally calming. There is no monthly charge to take part in Amrit Yoga at Florida Aikido Center; classes are offered on a donation only basis (typically between $5 and $10 per class, but any amount is appreciated).      

Held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 to 9:45pm, Seidokan Karate at Florida Aikido Center is an adults only (18 and up) program that focuses on deriving practical fighting and self-defense techniques from traditional Okinawan kata (forms). Taught by Sensei Paul Sadwick – a Ryukoku Seidokan Karate Kobudo Renmei affiliated instructor with more than 30 years of martial arts experience – the program’s curriculum includes striking and blocking techniques, joint locks, throws and weapons, and is geared toward students of all skill levels. Seidokan Karate at Florida Aikido Center is $40/month.    

According to Sensei Gina Boccolucci, headmaster of Florida Aikido Center, “I’m incredibly excited to have Andrea and Paul both starting their programs here at Florida Aikido Center. With the addition of Yoga and Karate programs to the dojo, I hope to offer current students even more outlets to learn and grow, and new students the opportunity to see what style best fits their mental and physical well being.”

The primary program at Florida Aikido Center is (of course) Aikido – a defensive martial best known for its use of evasion techniques, energy manipulation, joint locks and throws – taught six days a week: Monday through Friday, 6:30 to 7:45pm, and Saturday, 11:00am to Noon. Classes in Kobudo – an Okinawan art based on using traditional weapons – are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 to 9:00pm and Saturdays from 10:00 to 10:45am. On Monday evenings from 5:45 to 6:30 the dojo offers Iaido – the art of precise drawing and cutting techniques with a katana.

“It might look like we have a pretty full schedule right now, but we’re still looking for other arts and styles to share our dojo,” said Sensei Gina. “While I would love to round-out our Japanese arts programs with Judo or Kendo, I would also like to have Chinese arts like Tai-Chi and Wing-Chun join us. It would also be fun to have an early morning cardio kickboxing class, or maybe belly dancing. Ultimately, the goal is for the dojo to be open all day and offering a broad variety of classes to the Tampa Bay community.”

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About Florida Aikido Center
Open since 2008, the Florida Aikido Center offers an open, encouraging and respectful training environment to anybody ready and willing to learn. While the Florida Aikido Center is a “traditional” Japanese martial arts school, the atmosphere is friendly, accepting and ego-free, allowing students to better focus on attaining their specific goals – be they physical fitness, self-defense training, personal fulfillment or everyday stress relief. Florida Aikido Center is located at 4405 W. South Avenue, Tampa, FL 33614. For more information, please visit http://www.flaikidocenter.com.