HizashikanAikido · Coventry

Hizashikan Aikido — Coventry, since 1984

He that has the spirit of the sun within him can achieve anything.

Traditional Aikido, taught with patience in the heart of Coventry. For children finding their confidence, and adults finding their calm.

Book a free trial Discover Hizashikan

合気道・和の道

合気道 Ai · Ki · DōThree characters. One way of moving through the world.

The art of peace, one character at a time.

Aikido has no competitions, no tournaments, no first place. It is a Japanese martial art built on a quiet idea: that real strength is the ability to meet conflict — and end it — without harm. Its name tells you everything.

合
Ai — harmony

To meet, to join

Aikido does not clash with force; it joins with it and redirects it. On the mat that is a technique. Off the mat, it becomes a way of handling pressure — at school, at work, in life.

気
Ki — spirit

Breath, energy, intent

Every class trains more than the body. Posture, breathing and attention are practised until calm stops being something you find and becomes something you carry.

道
Dō — the way

A path, not a finish line

There is no final level, no trophy shelf. There is only practice, and the person you slowly become through it. That is why people stay for decades.

育 Sodateru — to nurtureClasses for children and juniors.

We don't teach children to fight. We teach them to stand tall.

Aikido gives children a quiet kind of confidence — the kind that shows up at school, not just on the mat. Every class begins and ends with a bow, and respect is the first technique anyone learns.

  • Confidence to look people in the eye and speak up
  • Resilience against bullying — without becoming a bully
  • Focus, discipline and the patience to keep trying
  • Friendships in a safe, supervised, family environment
Explore children's classes →
Junior students practising Aikido at Hizashikan
Juniors class — every Saturday at the Wyken hall
Adult students practising Aikido techniques in hakama
Adults class — beginners are partnered with experienced students
稽古 Keiko — trainingClasses for adults, from complete beginner up.

Nobody is thrown in at the deep end. Everybody is thrown, eventually — and taught to land first.

Most of our adults walked in with no martial arts experience and a long week behind them. You will be shown everything slowly, partnered carefully, and welcomed by name.

  • Stress relief a gym membership never quite delivered
  • Whole-body fitness, flexibility and better posture
  • Practical self-defence rooted in awareness, not aggression
  • A community that notices when you're missing
Explore adult classes →
Training daySaturdays, 12:15 – 2:00 pm
WhereWyken Community Centre Hall
Your first classFree — wear loose clothing
Plan your first visit
Aziz Meknassi Sensei, chief instructor at Hizashikan Aikido
Aziz Meknassi Sensei, Hizashikan Aikido Dojo
先生 Sensei — one who has gone beforeA teacher measured by his students, not his shelf.

Aziz Meknassi

Aziz Sensei began Aikido decades ago at the Budokan du Maroc, training under Shihan Abderrahman Bahaddou. He will tell you very little about his own grades, and a great deal about his teacher — which tells you most of what you need to know about how he teaches.

Hizashikan is a not-for-profit dojo. Every contribution goes back into the mats, the hall and the students. Aziz teaches the way he was taught: patiently, personally, and with the conviction that the quietest student in the room deserves the most attention.

“My job is not to make Aikido look impressive. It is to make you believe you can do it — because you can.”
Aziz Meknassi · Chief Instructor

Read Aziz Sensei's story →

声 Koe — voicesLetters from the people who know us best.

Don't take our word for it. Take theirs.

Aziz Sensei creates an environment where my son thrives. His confidence has grown so much — at the dojo, at school, everywhere.

Parent of a junior student

I came for fitness at forty-something, terrified I’d be the odd one out. I was partnered with someone patient, shown everything twice, and I’ve barely missed a Saturday since.

Adult beginner

My daughter used to shrink in new situations. Now she bows, steps forward, and tries. Aikido gave her that — and the club feels like an extended family.

Parent of a junior student
文庫 Bunko — the libraryThe dojo you can carry home in your pocket.

Bushido on the shelf. Wisdom you can lend, gift and keep.

Training shapes the body; reading shapes the rest. Our small library of Bushido and Japanese philosophy titles — including our own publications — is chosen the way a good bookshop chooses: slowly, and on merit.

Bushido — The Soul of Japan
Bushido — The Soul of Japan
Inazō Nitobe · The classic
 The Path of Discipline
The Path of Discipline
Hizashikan Press · Paperback & Kindle
 Mind Like Water
Mind Like Water
Hizashikan Press · Paperback & Kindle
Browse the bookshop
From the world of Hizashikan · 物語

The Keepers of Agadar

Not every lesson is taught on a mat. The Keepers of Agadar is a middle-grade fantasy series about courage, honour, resilience and kindness — the same things we teach on Saturdays, told as a story children ask to hear again.

Enter the world of Agadar →

Illustration from The Keepers of Agadar series
初心 Shoshin — beginner's mindThe most honoured rank in the dojo.

Every black belt was once a beginner who came back the following Saturday.

Your first class is free, and nothing is expected of you except curiosity. Come and watch, or come and try — both are welcome.

What should I (or my child) wear?

Loose, comfortable clothing — tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt are perfect. We train barefoot on mats. If you continue, we’ll help you find a gi (training uniform) at a sensible price.

Do I need any experience or fitness?

None. Most of our members started as complete beginners. Techniques are taught step by step, and you work at your own pace with a partner suited to your level.

Is it safe for children?

Yes. Aikido is non-competitive, and the very first skill everyone learns is how to fall safely. Classes are supervised throughout, and respect for training partners is the first rule of the mat.

Where do I park, and what happens when I arrive?

Free parking is available at the Wyken Community Centre. Arrive ten minutes early, introduce yourself to Aziz Sensei, and you’ll be looked after from there. Changing rooms are on site.

Do I need to know the etiquette?

No — you’ll pick it up naturally. We bow when stepping on and off the mat, and we treat every partner with care. That’s the heart of it; the rest follows.