Aikido
Aikido is a relatively modern, non-competitive martial art for the development of mind, body and spirit. It was developed in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba around 1930 based on his detailed knowledge of several traditional martial arts. Aikido is often characterised by its fluid and dynamic movement. We practice defence against a wide variety of strikes, punches and holds, including attacks with weapons by using your attacker's momentum and energy against them. It is practiced by men and women of all ages (not just the young and fit!).
Loosely translated Aikido means; "A Way of Harmonizing with the Universal Spirit".
It describes an idea of joining together. In Aikido emphasis is upon unifying with the rhythm and intent of the opponent in order to find the optimal position and timing with which to apply the technique.
Morihei Ueshiba, now called O-Sensei ("Great Teacher"), founded the martial art known today as Aikido. The formulation of Aikido dates from an incident that occurred in 1925.
A disagreement arose between O-Sensei and a naval officer. The officer challenged O-Sensei to a match, and attacked with a wooden sword. O-Sensei faced the officer unarmed, and won the match by evading blows until his attacker dropped from exhaustion. He later recalled that he could see his opponent's moves before they were executed, and that this was the beginning of his enlightenment. O-Sensei later wrote:
"Budo (the martial way) is not felling the opponent by our force; nor is it a tool to lead the world into destruction with arms. True budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect, and cultivate all things in nature."
O-Sensei continued to practice and teach Aikido into his old age. Observers would marvel at his martial abilities, vitality, and good humor; he was still giving public demonstrations of aikido at age 86, four months before his death. After he passed away on April 26, 1969, the Japanese government posthumously declared Morihei Ueshiba a Sacred National Treasure of Japan.
Today, Aikido is practiced by men, women, and children in over 50 countries; O-Sensei's teachings enlighten the lives of thousands of people all over the world.