Great palce to practice Aikido.Enthusiatic Teacher and Friendly Mate

The owner and chief instructor Ken McGrew is very knowledgeable and high ranked. He teaches a very flowing and dynamic style of Aikido. Classes are never boring.

I have been going to this dojo for a while now, and I enjoy it very much. Everyone was very friendly and inviting when I first joined. There are also yoga classes that my wife can attend at the same time.

Very friendly group, has been very fun training with them for the past month. Very challenging but also enjoyable. Looking forward to continuing my aikido training here.

I spent a long time looking for a martial arts dojo that would be the right combination of welcoming and traditional. Id studied other Japanese martial arts earlier in my life, including some basic Aikido, so I was very happy when I found this dojo at its previous location. Ive just recently begun training again at the new location on St Charles Street, and its beautiful. The workouts are intense, but the students are friendly and welcoming, and McGrew-Sensei does a very good job balancing both the spiritual and the martial sides of the art. Absolutely worth the drive for me from Clear Lake.

I have trained with Ken McGrew sensei for over 6 years. I enjoy training at this dojo because the regime never gets boring. McGrew sensei teaches that Aikido has infinite avenues, and there is always something new to learn along the path. Training here is fun and a great cardio workout as well.

Luckily I discovered the Houston Aikido (Utsusemi Aikikai) dojo two years ago. This dojo in the Eado section of Houston has a nice Japanese aesthetic with a raised mat that is very comfortable to train on. The dojo is also walking distance to Discovery Green and not far from the Astros Minute Maid Park.Sensei Ken McGrew is the lead instructor and he provides an encouraging, interesting and safe atmosphere to train along with other dojo members of all ages and walks of life, all very friendly and helpful.Sensei McGrews aikido is aligned with the style of Saotome Sensei, which emphasizes  dynamic motion, leading and blending with a realistic martial focus. For me, this atmosphere provides a safe and injury-free training experience while affording a solid aerobic workout.The training provides practical self-defense and assailant control appropriate for realistic civilian situations: i.e. self-protection for a bullied school kid, non-lethal training for law enforcement, how to deal with an aggressive drunk without hurting him (as a random example).Those interested in the intellectual aspects of aikido will also enjoy Dr. McGrews historical knowledge of the art and its literature and the influence of samurai sword craft. He is an excellent teacher who explains the purpose of each technique without overwhelming the student. At the dojo, students learn through cooperative practice with a partner following traditional Japanese etiquette.Im intrigued by the flowing curvilinear motion of Doc McGrews technical demonstrations and how he efficiently redirects aggressive forces along circular and spiral trajectories while exerting little effort. This is an unique characteristic of aikido that makes it fun to watch and an appealing challenge to master.There are basic and advanced class and classes taught Tuesday & Thursday evenings and Saturday at noon. Prospective students are enthusiastically encouraged to watch the training.