Our Dojo

About the Dojo: - Aikido of Northern Virginia offers traditional training in Aikido, a modern Japanese martial discipline with roots in classical sword, spear, and empty-hand fighting arts. Practice is open to all who are interested, regardless of experience. Further, Aikido students of all affiliations and ranks are welcome to train with us. The dojo is a not-for-profit organization. Our dojo originated under the leadership of Jim Sorrentino-sensei.

The dojo first held classes at the Central United Methodist Church of Arlington in the summer of 1999 and moved to the First Presbyterian Church of Arlington in January of 2017. Mike Lasky-sensei joined the dojo in 2002 as the dojo’s Technical Advisor and senior instructor. (Through Lasky-sensei, the dojo also offers Chinese internal martial arts as a means of furthering our practice and understanding of Aikido.) Sorrentino-sensei stepped down as Chief Instructor in January 2020. He remains on the teaching staff and serves as advisor to our current Dojo-Cho, Cyd Curtis-Bates-sensei.

Our dojo is a mix of students with different backgrounds ranging from no previous martial arts training to those who have studied a variety of martial arts and have decades of experience. We practice together in the belief that dedicated training gives us the opportunity to learn more about ourselves and support each other to be better, more capable people both on and off the mat.