After 15hours non-stop in an economy row seat from SFO -> HKG, some Aikido training seemed like a great way to help fix the jetlag, and also get moving again.

There’s a few Aikido dojos in Hong Kong, but after searching the internet, and then sending some emails in advance, we decided to train at http://www.aikidodoyukai.com. (If you are curious, use google translate to read the “training diary” written by Hitoshi Nagai Sensei after every class.).

Students had a wide range of skill levels, all the way from multiple adult yudansha to young children with white belts. There was no way to fit a gi into the carry-on-only bags, so we went to class in borrowed sweatpants and tshirts. It was really great to see how everyone, from a wide range of ages, races and cultures all intermixed, enjoyed learning together and everyone was very welcoming of the jetlagged strangers. The influence of the personality of the Sensei was obvious, the class was great exercise, fun and educational.

This turned out to be one of the highlights of Hong Kong for me. In fact, we made time to go back for another class later in the week, bringing friends who live in HK to introduce them to the art. Only while chatting after the 2nd class did I discover that Sensei had spent a lot of time training at Hombu dojo in Tokyo – another place where I’d enjoyed visiting to train!

If you find yourself in Hong Kong, even for just a few days, I highly recommend this dojo. I’ll definitely be going back again next time I visit Hong Kong.