Aikido: A Martial Art of Peace 

Aikido is a Japanese martial art which was developed in the beginning of the 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). He is now generally referred to as “O-Sensei”, which means “great teacher”. Ueshiba had previously practiced several of the traditional Japanese martial arts, but was dissatisfied with these because fighting always led to new battles. He was looking for a budo(martial art) without winners and losers, and thus ultimately created Aikido.

The word “aikido” is composed of three Japanese characters: Ai (合) can be translated as “harmony”, “collaboration”, and “love” (among other meanings). Ki (気) refers to “power” and “energy”, even “life energy”. While Do (道) means “way” or “path” or, more specifically, “practicing a way or path”. Aikido can thus be freely translated as “practice of a way of harmonizing energy”.

Aikido is a kind of self-defense in which we never meet force with force. Instead we use the power of the attack to lead the attacker into a throw or a pin. Thus the attacker gets thrown by the power of his/her own attack. The more powerful the attack, the more powerful the throw. The optimal situation is the one in which neither the attacker nor the person defending him/herself is injured, where both learn something from the situation.

Many people practice Aikido for reasons other than self-defense. Aikido practice leads to feeling good, both physically and mentally. Through Aikido we increase our level of fitness, concentration, flexibility, strength, and balance. We warm up before we practice, and we learn to fall safely and effectively in various ways. We perform co-ordination exercises and breathing exercises. During the actual practice we learn the characteristic spiral Aikido movements, which make Aikido look so harmonious and beautiful. Really good Aikido can actually look “staged”. This is due to the fact that the movements are so natural and do not require any great muscular strength. When properly performed, however, they are extremely effective and powerful.

The actual Aikido practice takes place in the form of “katas” (an agreement of sorts whereby one person attacks and the other person has the chance to perform the technique.) We help each other to develop together, in collaboration. In Aikido we do not compete in tournaments because we feel that this would create competition: a winner always gives birth to a loser. Everyone practices according to their own abilities, and since muscular strength is not important in Aikido, it is possible for both men and women of all ages to practice together and go on developing through this powerful healing martial art.