I'm thinking about joining an Aikido dojo just a five minute drive away I've discovered - affiliated with the United States Aikido Federation. Are they of the reputable sort? I ask because I do taekwondo and have become aware of a lot of views/opinions on some organizations over others.
The USAF is a large, reputable aikido organization. That being said, while being part of an organization helps legitimize and regulate training quality, each dojo and instructor should be taken into consideration an a case-by-case basis. So....check it out and see if you like it. If you do some research on the USAF I am confident you will be able to find some stuff out.
Google is good, amigo. http://www.usaikifed.com/about/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikikai Yes, it is reputable. In a real sense USAF is the most real and reputable version of aikido in America, because USAF is the official link to the founder's lineage. It is the American representative of Aikikai, the dojo of Ueshiba's son and now grandson back in Japan. (Other organizations are good too, but you only asked about this one.)
