Those words were more prophetic than the novice student could imagine. For over a decade, Sensei Putman studied under Sensei Dan Wold. He became a student instructor under his guidance and, in 2003, when Sensei Wold took a break from teaching aikido, Sensei Putman assumed the responsibility of dojo-cho. He kept the dojo alive by training and teaching in the barn behind his home. In 2007, Sensei Putman and his students moved out of the barn and established the Aiki Arts Center, where he teaches both aikido and tai chi today.

Sensei Putman considers himself a guide who helps people along the way of harmony - as aikido is sometimes called. Aikido practice is a journey of self-discovery. In the dojo, a student learns through chaos - to understand harmony. Sensei Putman says his job is "to observe people in action and give objective advice on how to improve their level of skill."

Skill is achieved through repetitive, harmonious movement, and by following a time-tested curriculum. In the first six months the student will learn how to roll and get to the ground safely and comfortably. This is the foundation. By implementing a systematic training program, Sensei Putman can take a student from ground zero all the way to black belt and beyond.

At black belt level, a student can readily protect themselves against one or more unskilled assailants, and has both the discipline and the comprehensive database of movement to be instructed on the more subtle intricacies of the art.

Please understand a dojo is not a gym. It is a living, breathing thing. The Way of Martial Arts is not easy. It requires courage and perseverance. Students must make themselves vulnerable. It also requires a willingness to surrender the ego to a "Way." A Way is a Path -"Do" in Japanese, "Tao" in Chinese-a process for learning and living. This means giving up your power, while trusting the teacher, your fellow students and the process. We do this to develop our own Way. That said, anyone with Will Power can succeed. One cannot fail, if One never quits trying.

It is essential that the student find the right teacher and the right dojo. Ultimately, Sensei Putman believes we're all in this together. "I'm just another guy on the Path of self-discovery. Aikido is my art. A painter paints: I do aikido. And I need people to do aikido with me - it's that kind of an art."