About Aikido

About Aikido

	What is AIKIDO? The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, described Aikido as being the "path to enlightenment through the study of martial arts". It is a traditional Japanese Martial Art that teaches self defence while also giving its practitioners a development of the body, mind and spirit that ultimately benefits their health, their way of thinking, and allows them to be more efficient and effective in their day to day activities. Based upon principles of non-aggression, non-resistance, and non- competitiveness, it is unique in that it allows people to defend themselves against larger and stronger attackers, without requiring great strength or speed, yet it also teaches us to understand and respect our fellow Man. It is a relatively modern derivative, technically, of a number of ancient and traditional Japanese fighting arts that included Ju-Jutsu, Aiki Ju-Jutsu, various styles of kenjutsu, (sword fighting), yari (spear), naginata (halberd) juken (bayoneted rifle) and jo (staff). Philosophically, it is heavily influenced by Shinto, the ancient "nature-worshipping" religion of Japan, notably that of the Omoto-kyo, and to a lesser extent Shingon, a tantric form of Buddhism. It was developed by the founder of Aikido, Master Morihei Ueshiba over a period of more than 25 years, who after experiencing a number of spiritual revelations, became disenchanted with the way traditional Martial Arts were focussed, and decided to radically change the moral concepts of self-defense by introducing his new art to the world. Master Ueshiba, or O-Sensei as he is respectfully known, retired from high profile life in his mid-fifties and moved to the country to begin developing and teaching Aikido to favoured students. By 1969, when he passed away, Aikido had attracted a huge number of followers, and also converted a large number of students from other Martial Arts, and had become established as a highly evolved, effective and beautiful art Aikido is characterised by flowing circular body movements, followed by amazing throws which cause the attacker to literally fly in the air before they collapse to the ground. Training involves constant close contact with a partner, each in attacking and defending roles. Primarily, Aikido teaches how to avoid attack, to break free from an opponents grip, how to control, throw and pin an opponent, and how to be prepared against multiple attackers. The throws work not by force, but instead by catching the attackers intention, causing them to lose their balance, and manipulating their joints into locks, twists and pins that are sometimes painful yet stimulating, and almost impossible to resist or escape from. Aikido is unique because it develops superior strength that is derived from a connection of internal hip structure to the ground and it develops amazing speed derived from a connection of hip movement to the breath. It does not rely on brute force or muscular strength at all. Almost half of Aikido training involves being thrown and falling, so students develop an incredibly strong and resilient body. With regular joint training and proper breathing during the techniques, stimulation to the body improves blood circulation and lessens sensitivity to pain, so one can gain a powerful sense of wellbeing and inner strength as well as a great appreciation for the sanctity of human life. This means that men and women of all ages can gain benefits from training, and because Aikido does not require force, anyone will eventually be able to defend themselves without being disadvantaged when faced with a larger or stronger opponent. Aikido is not an easy art to learn, and it is still the more difficult to master. In many cases, to progress in Aikido, students have to unlearn some of what they have learnt before, as Aikido breaks down many widely accepted but not altogether true myths and concepts regarding the way we think about strategy, self-defense, body movement and power. With dedication, perseverence and a willingness to learn, students can be assured of gaining benefits quite quickly, and hopefully one day will have the confidence to pursue their goals without conflict. Excerpt from www.aikidoaus.com.au

Last modified: August 02, 2011 3:55:23 PM EST.

What is AIKIDO?

The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, described Aikido as being the "path to enlightenment through the study of martial arts". It is a traditional Japanese Martial Art that teaches self defence while also giving its practitioners a development of the body, mind and spirit that ultimately benefits their health, their way of thinking, and allows them to be more efficient and effective in their day to day activities. Based upon principles of non-aggression, non-resistance, and non- competitiveness, it is unique in that it allows people to defend themselves against larger and stronger attackers, without requiring great strength or speed, yet it also teaches us to understand and respect our fellow Man.

It is a relatively modern derivative, technically, of a number of ancient and traditional Japanese fighting arts that included Ju-Jutsu, Aiki Ju-Jutsu, various styles of kenjutsu, (sword fighting), yari (spear), naginata (halberd) juken (bayoneted rifle) and jo (staff). Philosophically, it is heavily influenced by Shinto, the ancient "nature-worshipping" religion of Japan, notably that of the Omoto-kyo, and to a lesser extent Shingon, a tantric form of Buddhism. It was developed by the founder of Aikido, Master Morihei Ueshiba over a period of more than 25 years, who after experiencing a number of spiritual revelations, became disenchanted with the way traditional Martial Arts were focussed, and decided to radically change the moral concepts of self-defense by introducing his new art to the world. Master Ueshiba, or O-Sensei as he is respectfully known, retired from high profile life in his mid-fifties and moved to the country to begin developing and teaching Aikido to favoured students. By 1969, when he passed away, Aikido had attracted a huge number of followers, and also converted a large number of students from other Martial Arts, and had become established as a highly evolved, effective and beautiful art Aikido is characterised by flowing circular body movements, followed by amazing throws which cause the attacker to literally fly in the air before they collapse to the ground.

Training involves constant close contact with a partner, each in attacking and defending roles. Primarily, Aikido teaches how to avoid attack, to break free from an opponents grip, how to control, throw and pin an opponent, and how to be prepared against multiple attackers. The throws work not by force, but instead by catching the attackers intention, causing them to lose their balance, and manipulating their joints into locks, twists and pins that are sometimes painful yet stimulating, and almost impossible to resist or escape from.

Aikido is unique because it develops superior strength that is derived from a connection of internal hip structure to the ground and it develops amazing speed derived from a connection of hip movement to the breath. It does not rely on brute force or muscular strength at all.

Almost half of Aikido training involves being thrown and falling, so students develop an incredibly strong and resilient body. With regular joint training and proper breathing during the techniques, stimulation to the body improves blood circulation and lessens sensitivity to pain, so one can gain a powerful sense of wellbeing and inner strength as well as a great appreciation for the sanctity of human life. This means that men and women of all ages can gain benefits from training, and because Aikido does not require force, anyone will eventually be able to defend themselves without being disadvantaged when faced with a larger or stronger opponent.

Aikido is not an easy art to learn, and it is still the more difficult to master. In many cases, to progress in Aikido, students have to unlearn some of what they have learnt before, as Aikido breaks down many widely accepted but not altogether true myths and concepts regarding the way we think about strategy, self-defense, body movement and power. With dedication, perseverence and a willingness to learn, students can be assured of gaining benefits quite quickly, and hopefully one day will have the confidence to pursue their goals without conflict.

Excerpt from www.aikidoaus.com.au