Aikido Competitions

We say that Aikido has no competition as this martial art has many dangerous techniques, perhaps more so than any other martial art. Be it the joint or Kansetsu movement or striking or Ate movement, Aikido is exceptional for self-defense and hence has no competition. Due to so many dangerous techniques, no competitions are organized in Aikido as the results could be really dangerous and even result in death.

Aikido Techniques

Many of the strikes (打ち, uchi) of aikido are often said to resemble cuts from a sword or other grasped object, which may suggest origins in techniques intended for armed combat. Other techniques, which appear to explicitly be punches (tsuki), are also practiced as thrusts with a knife or sword. Kicks are generally reserved for upper-level variations; reasons cited include that falls from kicks are especially dangerous, and that kicks (high kicks in particular) were uncommon during the types of combat prevalent in feudal Japan.

Hakama

What is the name of the kind of skirt the aikidoka’s wear?

Hakama. It was originally worn by samurai’s and is used to conceal the movind of the legs. It depends on the dojo where you’re in if the wearing of it is permitted when you’re not a shodan.

Aikido Facts

Aikido was among the first martial arts freed from the ban imposed on their practice by the US government after World War II.

In some areas, Japanese police officers are required to hold at least a Shodan (black belt) in Aikido.

Canadian Aikido History

Takeshi Kimeda is credited with introducing Yoshinkan Aikido to Canada on his arrival in 1964 in Toronto, Ontario. Kimeda, presently ranked 7th dan, systematically built up a network of dojos in the Toronto, Hamilton and Windsor areas. This development was enhanced by the arrival of Mitsugoro Karasawa, now a 6th dan, in 1970.