How to find a dojo?

[CirclesCenter]

Ok, obviously off topic. (I'm in the O&E so quit your whining!)

I'm not super interested in hand to hand combat and quite honestly I'm tired of doing everything with an actual use. (Like self defense. Boring and dry... no fun... really tired off it.)

I want to learn sword fighting, but honestly have NO idea where to start. I want to use a katana, also a style tending towards more fluid motions. (I know how to swing it like a baseball bat already.)

Hints? Suggestions? Common pitfalls to avoid?

I live in Reno, NV so my choices may be limited.

[Alphamazing]

Check out an Aikido dojo, they usually have sword classes.

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=Reno%2C+NV+Aikido&btnG=Google+Search

[CirclesCenter]

Dude, your sloganizer should say, "Alpha knows..."

[Alphamazing]

Dude, your sloganizer should say, "Alpha knows..."

You might be interested in Aikido as a martial art as well. It's all about "flow" and using your opponent's energy against them. I really enjoyed it when I did it, but just couldn't make the time for it during high school.

The skills I learned there actually helped me jump start my fencing, allowing me to bypass the beginner's class entirely (a whole semester).

[sanjay]

The Aikido dojo here has a weapons class, but I'm not sure how they feel about people starting out with weapons before training in hand-to-hand Aikido.  You should check it out though - Aikido is great.  Otherwise, perhaps a different art, like fencing or Kendo, will let you start out with weapons right away.

And on the other side of the spectrum, you could try the Society for Creative Anachronism.  Don't know much about it, but I had a buddy who used to do it.  Lots of combat using sword, sword and cloak, sword and dagger, etc.  They're kinda weird, though. 

[aaronstj]

Which sword, Alpha?  I did a bit of fencing in college, and I must have been the only one that liked foil.

Fencing is very cool, but you should have no illusions about it being any kind of fighting.  Fencing is fairly far removed from actual sword fighting now, it's very much a game, and abstraction.  Actually, having that mindset it usually a big advantage over the LARPers that want it to be more realistic.    

[scratch]

What about Kendo, or is it Kenpo?

[Alphamazing]

Which sword, Alpha?  I did a bit of fencing in college, and I must have been the only one that liked foil.

Fencing is very cool, but you should have no illusions about it being any kind of fighting.  Fencing is fairly far removed from actual sword fighting now, it's very much a game, and abstraction.  Actually, having that mindset it usually a big advantage over the LARPers that want it to be more realistic.    

We have so many people doing foil and saber, that they want me to concentrate on épée. If I did foil, it would be very difficult for me to be able to get a spot for competitions.