Vashon families will soon be able to study Aikido together, when Vashon Aikido classes begin later this month.

The classes, intended for elementary-age children to take with their families, are new to Vashon and will be taught by Pam Cooper, who has 35 years of experience and is the owner of Aikido of West Seattle, where she is the primary teacher.

“The goal is nonviolent,” Cooper said, noting that the defensive art teaches empathy, compassion and how to lead by example.

People do not need to be super fit, strong or large to learn Aikido and do it well, she said, because they use the other person’s movement and redirect it, rather than meeting it head on, as in many other martial arts.

She has taught a variety of students, from kids as young as 2 to adults in wheelchairs.

“You come to it with what you have,” she said. “We can adapt it many ways so that people can succeed.”

Islander Amanda Winn is responsible for bringing Cooper and this new class to Vashon. She is a mom of an energetic 7-year-old son, who is drawn to martial arts. She began looking for ways to channel his energy and was drawn to the nonviolent philosophy of Aikido, with its focus on creating harmony, she said.

Winn found that the only person on Vashon who teaches Aikido is winding his classes down, so she cast her net wider, looking for someone who would be interested in coming to the Island and who would be a good fit here. The search led her to Cooper.

“We’ve had doors open and green lights the whole way,” Winn said.

Classes will be at the Open Space for Arts & Community, and a bus from Chautauqua will take kids there, where they will be met by a parent. Classes will meet at 4:15 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 16 to Dec. 18. The cost is $100 for the fall session. For more information, call Cooper at 938-5222.