A Capital Region Martial Arts Dojo
Dedicated to Self Improvement and Defense
Through the Practice of Traditional Aikido
Why Aikido?
Most people come to Aikido looking for something more than fitness or self-defense.
They are looking for a way to move through the world with greater calm, clarity, and confidence—especially under pressure.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that trains exactly that. Rather than meeting force with force, Aikido teaches practitioners to remain present, responsive, and balanced in relationship with others. The goal is not domination, but resolution—learning how to stay engaged without becoming reactive.
Over time, this kind of training develops physical coordination, emotional steadiness, and a deeper awareness of how we respond to challenge in everyday life.
Attention
What we train first is awareness.
Aikido Northway emphasizes learning to notice what is happening—internally and between partners—before trying to act. Students develop the ability to remain present under movement and pressure, rather than relying on force or speed.
Attention is the foundation of every technique we practice.
Responsiveness
We train how to adjust, not how to overpower.
Effective Aikido depends on sensing subtle changes and responding appropriately in real time. Training develops timing, adaptability, and engagement without reactivity.
Responsiveness replaces rigidity.
Care
Taking care is a trained skill, not a sentiment.
Students learn to move with care—for their own bodies, their partners, and the shared space of practice. This emphasis allows training to remain rigorous without becoming harsh, and demanding without being destructive.
Care makes long-term practice possible.
Practice
Progress comes from steady engagement, not performance.
Training at Aikido Northway focuses on consistency and refinement over time. There is no competition, no comparison, and no rush. Improvement emerges through attention, repetition, and reflection.
Practice is the work.
Who This Practice Is For
Aikido is always practiced with others.
Every class is a study in relationship—how we meet, lead, follow, resist, and resolve. Students learn that self-awareness develops through interaction, not isolation.
The art is learned between people.
Why Aikido Northway?
What Training at Aikido Northway Is About
At Aikido Northway, training emphasizes attention before force—and people before performance.
Technique matters, but it is never practiced in isolation or as a display of dominance. Every class is a shared practice. Students train with partners of different ages, backgrounds, and experience levels, learning how to move responsibly with another human being. Progress happens through cooperation, mutual respect, and steady repetition—not intimidation or competition.
Each movement becomes an opportunity to notice timing, tension, hesitation, and habit—both in oneself and in one’s partner. Training develops awareness that is relational, not solitary. You learn by paying attention together.
This kind of practice cultivates what might best be described as taking care: care with one’s own body, care with one’s training partners, and care in how one responds under pressure. No one advances by overpowering others. Everyone advances by helping the group train well.
Classes are focused, supportive, and serious without being harsh. Expectations are clear, instruction is precise, and students are encouraged to challenge themselves—but always within an environment where safety, respect, and trust are non-negotiable.
Training is physically engaging, but it is equally about learning how to remain grounded, adaptable, and attentive while working with others. Students are not treated as replaceable bodies on the mat. They are members of a learning community.
A Practice of Attention, Not Aggression
Many martial arts emphasize toughness, endurance, or dominance. Aikido takes a different approach.
Effective Aikido depends on sensitivity—the ability to feel what is happening, notice subtle changes, and respond appropriately. This sensitivity is developed through consistent partner practice with people who are invested in one another’s growth and safety. It is not weakness. It is a disciplined skill.
Over time, students carry this attentiveness beyond the mat—into work, relationships, and daily life—shaped not just by the techniques they learn, but by the way they train together.
Aikido Northway currently meets at the
Jonesville United Methodist Church, located at
963 Main Street, Clifton Park 12065
Chris Smith, 3rd kyu
"Tim Sensei is more than an Aikido instructor. He's a mentor and a friend to his students--on and off the mat."
Miguel Brasel, 1st kyu
"Learning Aikido from Tim Sensei really helped me to be more confident in my life every day."
John Patrick, 4th kyu
"Tim Sensei teaches so much more than technique in his classes. His lessons help me understand how Aikido works in my life."
Meet Tim Cooper Sensei
EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
Tim Cooper sensei is a fifth-degree black belt and experienced instructor in Aikido. He has trained for over 35 years in the Aikikai Federation with many of the world’s top Aikido shihan (master instructors), including direct students of the founder of Aikido, Ueshiba Morihei (O-Sensei).
Tim Cooper sensei lived in Japan for more than 10 years, where he trained at the World Headquarters Aikido (Hombu) dojo in Tokyo. His principle instructors have included Isoyama Hiroshi shihan (8th dan), Yasuno Masatoshi shihan (8th dan), Shibata Ichiro shihan (8th dan), Irvin Faust shihan (7th dan), and most recently, Chris Mulligan (7th dan) and Okamoto Yoko shihan (7th dan) at Aikido Kyoto.
Tim Cooper sensei taking ukemi from Isoyama shihan in Japan, 1997
Tim Cooper sensei earned his M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and his Ph.D. in History from the University of California at Berkeley. He is an Assistant Professor of History at Siena College, where he teaches classes on the history of Japan, the samurai, and martial arts.
Tim Cooper sensei has taught students of all ages and skill levels for over twenty years. He is the owner and Chief Instructor at Aikido Northway, as well as the Chief Aikido Instructor and Faculty Advisor to the Siena Martial Arts Club.
