Why Aikido Is So Holistic

As a physical art aikido develops flexibility, relaxation, strength without aggression and a vibrant integration of body, mind and spirit. It also teaches how to overcome an opponent without fighting. This is a very different approach to the goals of most martial arts, which tend to focus on winning in a fight, either in competition or in real life.

The founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, stressed this holistic aspect all the time. He talked about using nature’s energies and laws, polishing the mind and building spirit, extending ki, practising gratitude. He said that a person who lives naturally and with integrity does not need self defence because they are protected by their natural resourceful state. But he never told his students that aikido would enable them to overcome someone much bigger or stronger.

Rather, he trained them how to receive an attack with a technique by entering and controlling space, blending with their attacker’s energy, taking advantage of weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and using body movement to achieve submission techniques (fudo-waza). This learning is called ukemi.

Unfortunately, many aikido teachers don’t teach their students how to attack effectively or take robust ukemi. This creates a fundamental disconnect between the defender and attacker and inhibits more advanced exploration of oyo-waza and kaeshi-waza (reversals). In addition, students don’t learn to organize their own effective responses against escalated attacks, which are essential for safe training and growth.