Profile
Photos
Comments
Aikido
Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious
beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit."
Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to
defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.
Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and
redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on.
The aikidÅka (aikido practitioner) "leads" the attacker's momentum using entering and turning movements. The techniques are completed with various throws or joint locks. Aikido can be categorized under the general umbrella of grappling arts.
Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of DaitÅ-ryÅ« Aiki-jÅ«jutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba's involvement with the ÅŒmoto-kyÅ religion. Ueshiba's early students' documents bear the term aiki-jÅ«jutsu. Many of Ueshiba's senior students have different approaches to aikido,
depending on when they studied with him.
Today aikido is found all over
the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation
and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba
and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker. This attitude
has been at the core of criticisms of aikido and related arts.
Takeda SokakuUeshiba developed aikido primarily during the late 1920s through the
1930s through the synthesis of the older martial arts that he had
studied.
The core martial art from which aikido derives is DaitÅ-ryÅ« aiki-jÅ«jutsu, which Ueshiba studied directly with Takeda Sokaku, the revivor of that art.
Additionally, Ueshiba is known to have studied Tenjin Shin'yÅ-ryÅ« with Tozawa TokusaburÅ in Tokyo in 1901, GotÅha YagyÅ« Shingan-ryÅ« under Nakai Masakatsu in Sakai from 1903 to 1908, and judo with Kiyoichi Takagi
Takagi Kiyoichi, 1894–1972) in Tanabe in 1911.
The art of DaitÅ-ryÅ« is the primary technical influence on aikido.
Along with empty-handed throwing and joint-locking techniques, Ueshiba
incorporated training movements with weapons, such as those for the spear (yari), short staff (jÅ), and perhaps the bayonet jÅ«ken?). However, aikido derives much of its technical structure from the art of swordsmanship (kenjutsu).
Ueshiba moved to HokkaidÅ in 1912, and began studying under Takeda Sokaku in 1915. His official association with DaitÅ-ryÅ« continued until 1937.
However, during the latter part of that period, Ueshiba had already
begun to distance himself from Takeda and the DaitÅ-ryÅ«. At that time
Ueshiba was referring to his martial art as "Aiki BudÅ". It is unclear
exactly when Ueshiba began using the name "aikido", but it became the
official name of the art in 1942 when the Greater Japan Martial Virtue
Society (Dai Nippon Butoku Kai) was engaged in a government sponsored reorganization and centralization of Japanese martial arts
Article with much more continues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido.