Aikido Ai's Mt. Baldy Retreat

Using Zen and Martial Arts to Find Beginner's Mind.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, the 2020 Mt. Baldy Retreat is cancelled. We are planning our next Mt. Baldy Retreat for May 28-30, 2021, where participants from beginners to advanced can experience Zen awareness and our martial arts.

In 1982, Frank McGouirk Sensei and Joshu Sasaki Roshi agreed on the first Aikido-Ai retreat at Mt. Baldy Zen Center. The event began a long friendship between Aikido-Ai and the Zen Center. Our retreat is unique in the aikido and tai chi communities, a forerunner that is still drawing participants from across the country.

You ask, "Will I fit in?"

Absolutely. Here's why.

About a third of our participants are beginners with less than a year of experience in any martial art.

About 25% are multi-black belts seeking to develop their skills and the mental aspects of their arts.

The rest are a mix of all ages and abilities, including first-timers and regulars who come year after year.

Come study up close with world-class instructors sharing great skill and compassion. Discover fresh awareness of your art and yourself. Meditate and chat with the monks, and see how their practice mirrors your own life.

There's time for relaxation as well as training. Day guests are in camp from 9 am to 5 pm. For guests staying overnight, there is also dinner and evening workshops, plus morning zen meditation and breakfast.

Enjoy our photos here. We will have a new website for our 2021 Mt. Baldy Retreat with some exciting new developments. Sign up for our newsletter to get the updates.