I became interested after seeing a (crudely made) poster at my school which happened to offer Aikido classes four days a week. It seemed like fun so I decided to show up. When I did I was greeted by a big smiling guy in black and white grab. He answered all my questions about Aikido and when I asked about dues, he made sure to stress that this was a ‘non-profit’ dojo and if money was a problem they can be very accomindating. He also said that I should go through some classes to see if I would enjoy it before I commit to anything.
Druing my first class the fellow students proved to be very friendly, helpful, and knowleadgeable. Not once did they make me feel uncomfortable because of my ignorance. After class the head instructor took the time to come over to me to greet himself and ask if I had any more questions.
At this point I was sold, the people were great and the art was fun. Four classes later and I was still loving it, so I took the final step, and joined. It is a week later and so far I am enjoying every class. No regrets. Aikido is great, more should go out and try it.