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Aikido is the Japanese martial art of self-defense by throws, locks of the arms and wrists, and pins. Aikido means "the way of spiritual harmony. There are no defensive punching or kicking techniques in Aikido. The intent of Aikido is to control, not injure.
Aikido was developed by Morihei Uyeshiba (1883-1965), who had studied several forms of religion, fencing, and jiu-jitsu. In 1924, he had an altercation with a Japanese naval officer, in which the officer repeatedly tried to strike him with a wooden sword. Uyeshiba was able to ascertain the intent to strike just before it occurred, and simply evaded the attacks, without counter-action against the officer.
Immediately afterwards, he said "I was enlightened - the source of budo is God's love - the loving protection of all beings". He'd found that he could not bring himself to physically harm his opponent, even after all the training he'd had.
Thereafter, to teach his concept of "harmony", he developed Aikido by softening the original military jitsu techniques that were designed to kill or injure. In Aikido, the goals are to either throw the person away or pin the person to the ground by an arm-lock. Aikido is not a substitute for Christianity or other religions, but it does maintain the high ethical standards of religion.
Although Aikido is considered to be a soft form of jiu-jitsu, the techniques are powerful and effective. One has to experience the Aikido lock or throw to appreciate their effectiveness. Aikido locks can be extemely painful, but they are not injurious. The reaction to an Aikido lock is "Wow, that hurt a lot!", not "Somebody call an ambulance, please!". Throws to the ground can be hard or soft, depending on the severity of the attack and who the attacker happens to be.
Aikido utilizes the following principles, among others:
1. Relaxation of body and mind
2. Centering of body and mind at the "one-point" just below the belt
3. Practicing the concept of "no-thought" during techniques
4. Extension of "ki" or energy of body and mind
5. Blending the "ki" of the Aikidoist with the "ki" of the opponent
6. Tehniques of Japanese sword and stick movements
7. Non-resistance to force
8. Utilization of timing, body weight, body power, circular movements, and centrifugal force
Aikido is actually a way of life, not just a martial art. Outside the school, one becomes more relaxed and self-confident. Aikido trains you to relax under stress, thereby preventing all sorts of mental and physical problems. Self-confidence prevents unnecessary confrontations. In normal life, we deal with most people only intellectually. In Aikido practice, we learn to deal with people both intellectually and physically. It's hard to put into words, but you can deal with people more effectively and peacefully when you can "see" into the intellect of the another person, and also understand how the person's body and mind work together. Finally, the principles of Aikido can be used in business and personal relations to attain various goals.
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