Aikido – The Way of Harmonizing Body and Universal Spirit

As a martial art, aikido is unique because it strives to resolve conflict without destroying the opponent and with minimal force. This requires a great deal of physical skill and mental discipline. In our training we seek to build strength, focus and confidence while developing awareness of oneself and the world around us. This is a very fulfilling and life-long pursuit for many students, regardless of age.

While aikido is sometimes characterized as soft or gentle, it actually consists of a series of powerful techniques that incorporate the principles of leverage, inertia, gravity and centrifugal and centripetal forces. Properly executed, aikido techniques appear to be spherical motions around a stable, energized center. This allows a defender to control an attacker and send him flying through the air, or simply to pin him to the ground.

The founder of aikido, O-Sensei, dedicated his life to developing this art. He saw the destructiveness of war and violent conflicts in the world, and sought to unite peoples in peaceful cooperation. Aikido means “the Way of Harmonizing Body and Universal Spirit,” and the Founder believed that a person is at their most effective when their personal ki is aligned with the unified ki of the universe.

Unlike most martial arts, aikido is not competitive in nature and does not rely on secret techniques or “tricks”. Instead it relies on the development of ability through practice and the application of aiki principles. Both nage (attacker) and uke (“receiver”) must develop an understanding of how to blend with an opponent’s energy, as well as how to be flexible in off-balance, disadvantageous positions. This is known as kuzushi and is an essential element in all aikido techniques.