Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. On a purely physical level it is an art involving some throws and joint locks that are derived from Jujitsu and some throws and other techniques derived from Kenjutsu.
Aikido was originally started in Japan back in the 1940s. As Aikido's founder, Morihei Ueshiba, was growing up in modern Japan, Ueshiba witnessed the local thugs vandalize his father. The young boy decided that he would make himself strong in order to seek revenge against the thugs. Ueshiba was strong willed, and devoted every waking moment to physical training and martial arts. He then began to look into religion, hoping that he would find a greater significance with life - pursuing martial arts all the while. Ueshiba founded the martial art of Aikido by combining both his religious beliefs and his training in martial arts. Aikido believes in harmony and peace of the spirit. By achieving a higher spiritual power, Ueshiba has always believed that the human body is capable of anything. Even though he wanted revenge, he still stated that Aikido wasn't about fighting, but rather a way to reconcile with the world and make every human being on giant family. At that time, the style was known as aikibudo, it wasn't until 1942 that he decided to go with the name Aikido.
The Japanese word "Aikido" is made up of three characters: Ai, Ki, and Do. Ai means to join, unify, or harmonize. Ki means energy or spirit, particularly a universal life force, essence, or the forces of nature. Do means a path or way of life, and signifies that Aikido involves not only self-defense techniques, but also positive character-building ideals which a person can incorporate into his or her life. Taken together, the three characters mean the way of harmony with the spirit of the universe.
After World War II, Aikido rapidly spread and nowadays has become more and more popular in many countries. "The Aikido-boom" can be seen around the world. Why is Aikido now loved by all different generations, regardless of nationality, culture, language, etc.? On a purely physical level Aikido is an art involving some throws and joint locks that are derived from Jujitsu and some throws and other techniques derived from Kenjutsu. But its style was quite different indeed, incorporating several different styles of jujitsu, aiki-jujitsu, and spear and sword fighting techniques as well. It focuses not on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain control of them or to throw them away from you. It is not a static art, but places great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement. Its principal is not to resist the law of nature, but to harmonize without using physical strength. This means no matter if you are strong or weak, big or small, male or female, young or old, you can do Aikido without having to be a top athlete. Although Aikido does not require physical strength, with regular practice, strength will develop as well as agility, coordination, flexibility, balance, stamina, and alertness. Aikido practice is as much a mental and spiritual exercise as well as a physical one. Regular and continuous practice teaches Aikido exercisers to coordinate and unify their minds and bodies so that they remain centered and calm in the face of physical attacks or other forms of aggression.
Can Aikido be used for self-defense?
"Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before the fight, while the ignorant fight to win."
Yes, Aikido can be a very effective form of self-defense However, it can take considerable time and effort before Aikido (or any martial art) can be used effectively in a self-defense situation.
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