About aikido
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that encourages balanced development of the mind, body and spirit through the study of self-defence skills.
The Japanese characters Ai-ki-do; calligraphy by Professor Kenji Tomiki
Aikido is a non-violent Japanese martial art that aims to resolve conflict through the harmonisation of opposing energies and forces.
Ai-ki-do is may be translated as "harmony-energy-way" or "the Way of harmony of energy". Through learning aikido, the practitioner aims to bring harmony to the self, to others and all life. In a physical conflict, this means that one aims to subdue an attacker without causing injury. More generally this means aiming to act responsibly to create win-win situations where all parties can grow and benefit from the resolution to a conflict.
Aikido aims to resolve conflict intelligently and efficiently, using the minimum amount of effort and force necessary. One does not need to be male, big or strong in order to successfully apply aikido techniques.
The techniques typically aim to blend with an opponent's momentum, extending or redirecting it with a minimum of effort. This leads the opponent into an off-balance position. From this weaker position, an opponent may then be led into a fall or controlled by applying joint locks.
For more information, see the Links page.
Why learn aikido?
Through aikido, you can connect to a tradition of centring, self-improvement and practical life skills.
Modern life presents many challenges. It's easy to be whisked away by its pace, to be seduced by a stream of instant gratification and to forget who you really are or what's really important to you.
Aikido training provides a place in your life where you can ground yourself. The dojo is a place for learning fundamental skills that will help you look after your body, mind and spirit.
On the physical level, the training works on improving practical physical skills to improve your posture, balance, fitness, body awareness and falling skills. Because aikido does not rely on physical strength, it can be practised by people of all ages and ability. Self-defence skills improve as your coordination and technical ability improves. Improved physical competence leads to improved self-confidence.
On the mental level, aikido develops self-awareness, focus and self-discipline. During training, the mind is engaged in the present, coordinating with the body. This helps to provide stress relief, as without space to focus on day-to-day issues, the mind lets go of the daily busy-ness that it may otherwise be preoccupied with. The self-awareness that aikido develops is useful in identifying stressful situations and managing them before they get out of hand. Improved self-confidence also contributes to better stress management.
Over time, aikido can be a pathway to help you explore spiritual aspects of life. A deeper understanding of principles studied during aikido training develops as you apply your training to daily life. The centring and awareness skills developed have an effect on your inner 'posture', improving how you experience life.
In general, aikido provides the opportunity to round yourself out through accessible martial arts training, as well as providing an opportunity to learn about some Japanese culture and martial traditions.
Back to top