The Origins of Aikido

Aikido is a name which is created by linking three characters in Japanese. Ai means joining, Ki refers to spirit and do means way. By taking these three terms together you get the essence of the art of aikido. Aikido can then be defined as a form of martial art which joins the spirit in order to find the way. In the 1930's - 1940's this was officially accepted as the definition as the true name of this martial art.

Aikido emphasizes techniques that do not damage or kill people unlike other different forms of martial arts. These skills and movements which are taught are created in order to divert a person's focus or immobilize that person. Most people prefer this discipline because it is a peaceful and harmonious compared to aggression and conflict. Morihei Ueshiba who developed the martial art believed that the control of aggression without any resultant injury was the art of peace.

Ueshiba is also O sensei, which translates to Great Teacher in English. He created aikido from the founding principles of Daito-Ryu -Aiki-Jujutsu. He also made use of the different techniques of the yari, the spear; the juken, (a bayonet); and the Jo, (a short quarterstaff). Something that separates Aikido from other different martial arts is that Aikido uses hands as weapons and the individual has no use for weapons.

When Ueshiba was a child he focused a lot on physical fitness and conditioning due to the fact that he had vowed to avenge the death of his father. He studied different martial arts including those with weapons and those without. This is one of the reasons why this particular far eastern martial art is such a diverse and multi-disciplinary field.

Despite all his knowledge Ueshiba wasn't satisfied because he felt that something was missing. This was where he found religion in the hands of Onisaburo Deguchiof the leader of the sect of Omoto-Kyo in Ayabe. It was Deguchiof who taught him to take care of his spiritual self. With the combination of the spiritual and his cumulative knowledge of martial arts led to formation of Aikido.

By associating with Deguchiof he also go to meet the ruling and military elite as a martial artist. Due too this connection he then established a spiritual discipline and transferred this teaching to different students. These students over time developed their different styles and additions to Aikido.

Aikido is a diverse mélange of the various styles of Jujitsu and some other techniques of other arts such as sword and spear fighting. Ueshiba was an expert in all these arts. This martial art combines certain joint locks and techniques which are employed in Jujitsu and movements that the body goes through whenever you're fighting with swords and spears.

Aikido was brought to the west by Minoru Mochizuki when he came to France in 1951. He introduced the aikido techniques to students who were learning judo at the time. In 1952, Tadashi Abe came to France as the official Aikikai Honbu representative. In 1953, Kenji Tomiki made a tour through the United States while Koichi Tohei stayed in Hawaii for a full year where he set up a dojo and taught Aikido. Aikido then spread its influence in United Kingdom. In the year 1965 this Japanese discipline was introduced to Germany and Australian and now it exists all over the world.