AIKIDO
The Art of Harmony
Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969) as a result of his long-term practice of many different types of traditional martial arts of his time, such as:
Jujitsu (unarmed techniques)
Kenjutsu (sword techniques)
Jojutsu (staff techniques)
Morihei Ueshiba, frail and weak as he was in his youth, recognized the inability of the systems of his time to transcend the use of brute strength and force for self-defense against an opponent.
He often asked himself questions such as:
What would I do if I faced someone physically stronger than me?
How can I neutralize someone without using any weapons at all?
How can I control someone without resorting to reckless violence?
In a word, how can we devise a defense against someone larger in size and more experienced, without seeking their complete destruction?
It was through this reflection that the art of aikido was created, which, unlike the martial arts of the time, brought innovation not only to the technical but also to the ethical level of martial arts. The purpose of aikido is not to dominate or defeat an opponent, but to achieve true victory, which comes from overcoming oneself.
Physical training in Aikido is not about competition—since Aikido does not involve matches—but rather about personal growth and self-actualization through the discipline of the exercises. Aikido does not involve kicking or punching. A key element of its practice is complete harmonization with the opponent’s movement, allowing the defender to achieve maximum effect with the least use of force or violence.
This is achieved by exploiting the attacker’s momentum, disrupting their body’s balance, and ultimately pinning them to the ground. None of this requires muscular strength, but rather a composed mind, clear perception, immediate reaction and timing, as well as a good understanding of the body and how it functions.
The Aikido Bushido Center offers classes for adults as well as a children’s aikido class. For more details about the children’s class, click here: Children’s Class.
The Aikido Bushido Center is an official representative of the United Aikido Dojos organization.