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Getting to Aikido and Staying There by Kevin Hutt Nicolas dictated his article to me over one year ago. At that time, everything related to Aikido and martial arts was brand new to our family. Then, getting a bokken was a major consideration for many reasons. Among those stood out at least one: Play swords were one thing, real ones another. With the bokken came a code of behavior and host of expectations that would apply to our seven year old son. Was he ready? A year later, Nicolas still keeps his bokken in top condition and practices with it regularly. So far, there have been no injuries or major destruction of our house. Before bokken, however, was Aikido. Two days per week or about 120 miles of travel from Addison county to Winooski and back. Although we log many miles to and from the children's class, the effort is always worth it. From the beginning, ACV and Pincus Sensei have been a valuable part of our children's homeschool program. Since enrolling Nic in April, 2000 at ACV, he has spent hours reading about O Sensei and asking questions about Japanese history. Nic is very proud of his accomplishments on the mat and talks clearly about goals he has set for training. Recently, Nic's younger brother, Malcolm, joined the ranks of ACV members. And while it seems so natural for Malcolm to be on the mat with his brother after patiently waiting for a year and a half, we've celebrated this passing event as a huge accomplishment on the part of our five year old. In these days, such enthusiasm and commitment at any age is a blessing. After a long hiatus from Aikido training, I now find myself training exclusively with the children's class. Someday I'll find the time between raising two sons and a baby daughter to get back on the mat with my peers. But that can wait for now. Meanwhile, every chance I have to see Nic and Malcolm line up on the mat at ACV, I know they are walking a path they can be proud of.