Aikido Calgary

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.

What is Aikido?

This noncompetitive Japanese martial art aims to harmonize energy with that of a partner or opponent in order to achieve both physical and emotional mastery through peaceful resolution. Aikido literally means the path to the coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Aikido is a defensive system of continuous, circular motions, combining many of the fluid, dance-like movements of t’ai chi along with more subtle, stylized techniques. When practiced properly, successful defense is achieved through minimal action. Originally seen as a combination of religion and martial arts, aikido was created by Morehei Ueshiba in the early twentieth century.

Aikido History in Japan

The year 1942 is often cited as the beginning of modern aikido. It was at that time that the Dai Nihon Butokukai, desiring to achieve a standardization in teaching methodology and nomenclature for modern Japanese martial arts, reached an agreement with the Kobukai representative Minoru Hirai to call the jujutsu form developed by Morihei Ueshiba aikido. Thus, AIKI BUDO joined the ranks of judo, kendo, kyudo and other modern martial arts.

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.