What is Aikido?

Aikido (The Way of Harmony of the Spirit) is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba. It is derived from the Daitoryu Aikijujitsu, an old family style of unarmed combat that was taught so samurai could defend themselves should they find themselves without their swords. During his life, Ueshiba-Sensei changed the emphasis of his style quite a bit thus explaining the different branches of Aikido that exist today which each emphasise different aspects of Aikido.

At its core, Aikido is the way of harmony with one's surroundings, be it a partner or the world. As such, there is little in the way of attacking moves. An Aikidoka will rely principly on re-directing the energy of an attacker to either throw, control in a lock or pin the attacker. By practicing kata (lit. techniques) and then applying them through randori ho (free play methods), effective and safe self-defense moves can be learned.

Most Aikido techniques can be described by the following pattern:

Move out of the way of the attack.
Break the attacker's balance by means of leverage and timing.
Apply a throw, pin or lock to immobilise the attacker.

The Shodokan style of Aikido, in which our club trains, was first developed by Kenji Tomiki Shihan (the first to receive an eighth dan from Ueshiba-Sensei) After his death Tetsuro Nariyama Shihan succeeded him as head of the style. In Japan it is also known as Aikido Kyogi (Sport Aikido). Contrary to many styles of Aikido there is an element of competition. It is used to test many aspects of an Aikidoka's skills under pressure.

For more information see the following chapters about the history of Aikido, different Aikido styles, and the aims of Shodokan Aikido. Also see the Martial Arts FAQ and The Aikido FAQ for further information.

Yann Golanski, 2nd Dan 7th September 2005