| History: | | | | Aikido teaches one-on-one and multiple attack |
| Aikido in its present form is a relatively recent | | | | defence. It incorporates knife-taking, sword-taking |
| innovation within the martial arts tradition. It was | | | | and stick-taking, and even defence from a |
| developed in Japan in the early 20th century by | | | | kneeling position. Differences in size, weight, |
| Morihei Ueshiba (1883 - 1969), who was | | | | strength or age negated as we learn to use our |
| introduced to the classical martial arts as a boy by | | | | inner ki (flow of energy). Weapon training with a |
| his father, Yoroku. He is known to have studied | | | | bokken and jo indicates the ancestry of the |
| some martial arts, such as various styles of | | | | discipline as well as helping to improve our body |
| Ju-jitsu as well as Kenjutsu and the art of the | | | | movements. |
| spear. | | | | It should be emphasised that Aikido is a budo |
| Philosophy: | | | | (literally a martial way). We practise each |
| If we are attacked by a force and we apply | | | | technique with total commitment, as if our life |
| force ourselves, a collision of energies ensues | | | | depended on its success, for only in this way is it |
| which results in disharmony. Thus, accordingly the | | | | possible to bring about the true spirit of budo. This |
| stronger force wins. If, however, we meet the | | | | is not to say that training has to be hard or |
| force with an absorbing movement and then | | | | violent. It is possible to be physically soft and still |
| exhaust it to the point of imbalance before | | | | generate the power to control a confrontational |
| applying a force of our own (the Aikido way), we | | | | encounter. |
| are in fact restoring harmony or redressing an | | | | Styles of Aikido: |
| imbalance. This is the basic logic and underlying | | | | In reality, there are several major styles of Aikido |
| philosophy of Aikido. | | | | today. As Ueshiba was continually refining and |
| Training: | | | | modifying the art he had created, some of his |
| Aikido is a discipline that seeks not to meet | | | | students at various stages left to pursue their |
| violence with violence, but instead looks towards | | | | own ideals. Thus, Master Gozo Shioda created the |
| harmonising with and restraining and opponent. | | | | yoshinkan style, characterised by short and sharp |
| Aikido is, in many ways, unique among the martial | | | | movements and powerful joint applications; Kenji |
| arts, in that the majority of techniques are based | | | | Tomiki developed sport Aikido, as it is widely |
| on the aggressor making the first move. | | | | known, characterised by competitions in which |
| Therefore, Aikido techniques are usually aimed at | | | | rubber knives are used; Minoru Mochizuki |
| joint immobilisation and throws which utilise an | | | | successfully amalgamated Aikido with other |
| opponent's energy, momentum and aggression. | | | | martial arts within the International Martial Arts |
| Many body movements have been taken from | | | | Federation; and Koichi Tohei created shin-shin |
| Japanese sword and spear fighting arts, and the | | | | toitsu Aikido, which concentrates on the ki aspect |
| use of the bokken (a replica sword) and jo (a | | | | of Aikido. All of these men trained with and |
| stick) is intended to build the practitioner's | | | | listened to Ueshiba and yet each came away with |
| understanding and skill. | | | | a different idea of the discipline. |