Hudson Valley Aikido

Hudson Valley Aikido is a martial arts school in Carmel, NY. The dojo teaches Aikido to youth and adult students through structured classes that emphasize technical proficiency, practical self-defense, and personal growth. Instruction is led by Giles Copp Sensei, who holds the rank of Yondan (4th-degree black belt) and serves as dojo cho and chief instructor. Copp Sensei trained under Stewart Johnson Sensei (Godan, ZAA) and Greg Noble Sensei (Rokudan, ZAA), and is a member of the National ZAA Teaching Committee with almost 20 years of experience and training. Assisting him is Zeh Sensei, a Nidan (2nd-degree black belt) in Aikido who also holds a Sandan (3rd-degree black belt) in Okinawan Goju karate. The school is affiliated with Zenshinkai Aikido Association, a United States foundation dedicated to propagating the art of Aikido as originally passed on by the late F. Toyoda Shihan, and is a program of Good Stance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Aikido is distinct from hard striking arts such as karate and taekwondo. At Hudson Valley Aikido, students work to eliminate conflict and control an attacker without inflicting injury, developing an understanding of balance and energy rather than relying on muscular strength. Training maximizes stability, engages the hara, and rearranges an attack through timing and angles, which makes the art accessible regardless of size, gender, or strength. The school offers separate adult and youth class tracks.

The dojo sits on Towners Road, about 0.3 miles from State Highway 52. Hill and Dale Community Park and Michael's Brook are each roughly 0.6 miles away, Palmer Lake is about 0.7 miles, Lake Carmel about 0.8 miles, and Driscoll Hall about 0.9 miles. Parking is available east and west of the dojo building on the same side of the street.

Hudson Valley Aikido holds a rating of 5.00 from the customers who have reviewed it, reflecting the regard in which its instruction is held.

For students in Carmel seeking a martial art built on harmony and control rather than force, Hudson Valley Aikido pairs certified instruction with a lineage rooted in the Zenshinkai Aikido Association.