Resources
You don't need to spend a lot to get started training. New students often begin by training in some comfortable workout clothing. But soon you will want to get a basic white training uniform.
Uniforms
The training uniform is called a gi. A karate gi is fine for our kind of training and can cost anywhere from $15 to $25 for a lightweight material, to $50 for a medium quality to over $100 for a higher quality uniform. If you can afford it, a mid-quality gi is just fine. As you gain experience you can invest in a higher quality gi for the long run. Please wear only white karate or judo gi.
It is customary in Aikido and Iaido, but not required, to wear a black (or dark colored) pant called a hakama. The hakama does not signify any particular rank in our dojo. It is a traditional samurai garment and is commonly seen in many Japanese martial arts. 
A hakama can run anywhere from $50 for an inexpensive one to over $100 for good quality. I suggest you wait until you have trained at least a month or two before investing in a hakama. You can speak with more experienced students and possibly try theirs on for fit before investing in your own. Like a quality gi, one hakama can serve you for many years, so it's worth it to go for quality if you can. For Aikido training the best gi's and hakama are from Bu Jin Design. They make hakama specifically with the needs of Aikido people in mind. Please wear only black or dark blue hakama.
Swords
Iaido is taught as a separate art; however, Iaido classes are included in your membership. You may choose to include it in your training if you like. If you wish to join us for Iaido you will need to get a practice sword called an iaito. This is a non-sharp training quality sword. It's important that you get a sword of reasonable quality for safety reasons. A poorly made sword can break and cause damage or injury. For reasonable quality and price see the swords from tozando.com. The basic models are just fine for practice. You can expect to spend around $300 depending on the exchange rate. If you want to you can spend a little more for special features such as a custom tsuba (hand guard) or custom colored tsukamaki (handle wrapping). Do not use "live blades" (sharp) or "display swords" for Iaido.
Boken and Jo
The boken (wooden sword) and jo (wooden staff) are a standard part of Aikido training. We have numerous boken and jo for use at the dojo. However, at some point you will want to have your own personal boken and jo. There are inexpensive wooden weapons at e-bogu.com and much higher quality (and price) at Bu Jin Design.
