The word aikido is composed of three Japanese words:

• Ai, meaning harmony
• Ki, spirit or energy
• Do, the path, or the way

Aikido is the way of the spirit of harmony.

Martial arts are studied for self-defense and self-improvement, but aikido differs from other martial arts in that the practitioner seeks to achieve self-defense without injury to attackers.

Japan's Non-Violent Martial Art

There are no kicks in aikido, and the "attacks" taught are used for the purpose of learning the defense against those attacks rather than for the purpose of injuring an opponent. The techniques are designed to harmonize with the natural movements of the body. Half of the techniques involve joint locks which enable the "attacker" to be moved to a pinning position where they can be held without injury. The other half of the techniques involve throwing the partner. Much practice time is spent learning how to fall safely.

Because of the harmonizing quality of the movements, spectators of aikido often comment on the dance-like, graceful quality of the movements. While there is a choreographed quality to daily practice, at the higher levels partners practice with one another with no preconceived notion of what the attack or the defense will be. Because the students have trained for years in harmonizing and blending with their partner, they move at ease with one another and so the spontaneous movements appear like a natural dance. Because of the nature of the movements, we have seen students continue practicing well into their 80s! In observing a class you will see the full spectrum from older or more cautious students practicing slowly to very vigorous workouts from cooperative pairs practicing full-out. There is room in the dojo for the whole spectrum and we invite you to find your place, your pace, and your own reasons for practicing aikido.

A Short History of Aikido's Founder

Suggested Reading

Morihei Ueshiba, now called O-Sensei ("Great Teacher"), founded the martial art known today as aikido. Born in 1883 in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, he dedicated himself to becoming strong after seeing his father assaulted by political opponents. He sought out training and studied under masters in many traditional martial arts, eventually becoming expert at a number of styles of jujitsu (unarmed combat), kenjitsu (swordfighting), and sojitsu (spear fighting). Dissatisfied with mere strength and technical mastery, he also immersed himself in religious and philosophical studies. The stories of his immense physical strength and martial prowess are impressive enough, but more important is the legacy of non-violence and human integrity he left to mankind.

In early 20th century Japan, involvement in the martial arts was a competitive and dangerous business. Contests, feuds, and rivalries often resulted in injuries and even deaths. The formulation of aikido dates from an incident that occured in 1925. In the course of a discussion about martial arts, a disagreement arose between O-Sensei and a naval officer who was a fencing instructor. The officer challenged O-Sensei to a match, and attacked with a wooden sword. O-Sensei faced the officer unarmed, and won the match by evading blows until his attacker dropped from exhaustion. He later recalled that he could see his opponent's moves before they were executed, and that this was the beginning of his enlightenment. He had defeated an armed attacker without hurting him -- without even touching him.

O-Sensei later wrote: "Budo (the Martial Way) is not felling the opponent by our force; nor is it a tool to lead the world into destruction with arms. True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, and cultivate all things in nature."

O-Sensei continued to practice and teach aikido into his old age. Observers would marvel at his martial abilities, vitality, and good humor. He was still giving public demonstrations of aikido at age 86, four months before his death.

After he passed away on April 26, 1969, the Japanese government posthumously declared Morihei Ueshiba a Sacred National Treasure of Japan.

Glossary of Aikido Terms