For those who are not aware of it, for a short time when I lived in Prince George, I studied hapkido, the Korean martial art. Due to circumstances beyond my control (my knee wasn’t in shape yet), I did not progress very far.
Fast forward to the present day: I’m figuring out what I want to do this winter. The leading candidates are ice hockey and martial arts. A search of the Internet found Ookami Gakko bujutsu, the only dojo in Sooke. Tonight, I went and observed a class with Jackson Wagner Sensei. I thought it was very interesting, much moreso than hapkido, although there are many of the same elements.
I will think about it for a bit. I have two more weeks left in my roller hockey season, which I have enjoyed immensely. I also enjoyed ice hockey last winter, but rec ice hockey has one thing about it that I can’t stand: the crappy ice times. Last winter, it was not unusual to be playing until 12:30 am on a “work” night. Being out in Sooke, it may be that there is better ice time available for men’s hockey, but I doubt it.
The dojo’s atmosphere was very non-threatening, and I really enjoyed Jackson’s attitude and personality. There are only four other members in the class, so there is a good opportunity for quality instruction.
For the first while I can use my hapkido gi (clothes), so my only startup costs would be the bokken (wooden sword).
