Aikido Knowledge

Home
Aikido Knowledge
Beginners' Basics
Club Information
FAQ
Gallery
Grading Guide
Techniques

Aikido Knowledge

What is Aikido?

There have been numerous definitions for Aikido. One of them is literally translated as “the Way of confluent energy”. However, Aikido can also be defined by its three constituent parts: “Ai”, “Ki” and “Do”. These can be individually translated as follows:
Ai: Japanese term meaning ‘union’, ‘harmony’ or ‘love’.
Ki: Universal energy or life force.
Do: Japanese term for “the Way”. Other examples that use this term including Bushido, Judo, and Kendo.

Aikido is also loosely defined as “the Art of Peace” as it emphasizes the use of harmony, cooperation, non-resistance, and the use of minimal force. The founder of Aikido was a religious man and placed great importance on the spiritual side of the art, just as much the technical and physical sides.

Aikido comprises the use of body movement to avoid and blend with an attack - to diffuse the energy and redirect it as opposed to meeting it with equal force. Aikido techniques also make use of a variety of locks and pins to immobilise and control an assailant. The locks may be applied to various parts of the body, such as the elbows, the shoulders, legs, and more commonly, the wrists.

There are no competitions in Aikido, mainly due to the inherent danger of Aikido techniques. Aikido training is also done in co-operation between one and his/her partner not as a test of who is better. While practicing as a pair, one Aikidoka will take on the role of the defender (tori), the other that of the aggressor (uke). The roles are interchangeable and one must be able to assume both roles. Not only is this important to understanding the concept of the technique, but as uke, one learns how to fall safely.

History of Aikido

Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art created in the mid 1920’s by a man called Morihei Ueshiba (pictured left), sometimes spelt Uyeshiba. Ueshiba, who his students would later refer to as O’Sensei, meaning “Great Teacher”, was born in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan on December 14^th 1883 and died on April 26^th 1969. In his youth, he studied many Martial Arts including Ju-Jitsu or “The Gentle Art”, Kenjutsu or “The Way of the Sword” and Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu, a Martial Art form dating up to seven centuries back into Japan’s past. He also came into contact with Buddhist monks and, as a result, took on a more philosophical approach to the Martial Arts, through meditation and prayer. Eventually in 1927, Ueshiba set up his own dojo in Tokyo, originally calling it Ueshiba Aiki-Budo. The Art went through many name changes but was finally renamed Aikido in the mid 1940’s. Since then, Aikido has spread rapidly across the globe, from Ueshiba’s homeland of Japan, to the United States and to the United Kingdom, as well as most of Europe. This spread has been furthered mainly through some of Ueshiba’s “Uchi-Deshi” or live-in students. Some of these students included Saito, Shioda, Tohei and Tomiki Senseis.

Aikido at QMUL

The QMUL Aikido club started well back in 1961. Since then, it has managed to keep up with the times and changes that have happened at Queen Mary. This seems a very fitting tribute to the art's founder, Morihei Ueshiba, who showcased Aikido (while it was still in its infancy) in many Japanese universities, before expanding into other countries such as the USA and UK. The club trains every Thursday night during term-time. There is also an extra training session on Tuesday mornings.

The QMUL Aikido club practices mainly in the traditional "Yoshinkan" style. This style was formed by the late Gozo Shioda and is considered to be a "hard" style of Aikido. This may be due to the fact that the style focuses on the use of an atemi (strike to the attacker's body) to distract the attacker and aid in the application of a technique. The style, however, is also noted for its emphasis on vigorous techniques and economy of movement.

Benefits of Aikido

Like any other form of regular exercise, Aikido is a great way to improve your health and fitness. However, it can also help you develop your posture, balance, coordination and confidence, as well as provide a good forum for meeting new friends. Because the techniques in Aikido do not rely on the use of physical strength, Aikido can really be done by anyone, of any size, age, or sex. However, great care needs to be taken when training with those under the age of 16, due to the dangers of the techniques being applied on undeveloped joints.

Aikido Links

The following are links to some good external sources on Aikido.

The Aikido FAQ: An encyclopaedic source for Aikido information provided by Kjartan Clausen.

Koshinkan Aikido Society: Aikido organisation based in Sutton, Surrey.

The British Aikido Board: The governing body for Aikido in the UK.

AikiWeb: Aikido web resource.

White Rose Aikikai: An independent Aikido Association formed in 1979 by Sensei Shane Riley 6th Dan to promote and foster the practice and spirit of Traditional Aikido, as originated by O-Sensei Morihel Ueshiba. Based in West Yorkshire and the North East.

London Aikido Dojo: London Tomiki Aikido Club based at Rotherhithe. For more information, please contact Tony Evangelou (4th Dan).

Wikipedia - Aikido: Online encyclopaedic resource on Aikido.

Aikido in the UK: Web resource for Aikido in the UK.

Sure Aikido is for you, but never done it before?

Last updated: 04 Oct 2008 10:58