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Aikido is a highly effective and ethical form of self-defence. Unusual amongst martial arts however, its gentle body movements require neither strength nor stamina, which makes it genuinely suitable for all ages.
It is also much more than just a form of self-defence as the relaxation - particularly relaxation while moving - both mental and physical, that lies at its heart, brings great benefits to many practitioners in their ordinary lives.
The soft contact involved makes it particularly suitable
for women and we have frequently found it be of great interest
to those who ‘used to do’ martial arts. Part of
its attraction is that it also engages the mind as well as the
body, being both rigorously logical and deeply intuitive. (top)
Aikido was developed by the Japanese master Morehei Ueshiba in the early 1900s. He was highly skilled in many martial arts but as his abilities improved he began to feel increasingly disenchanted with what he was achieving. In particular, concepts such as defeat and victory became meaningless to him.
Aikido developed out of his inner struggle to find a truly
ethical martial art - one that was essentially non-violent yet
effective and which, most importantly, could be used by anyone
- men and women, old and young, weak and strong. (top)
The main difference between aikido and most other martial arts is that it uses principles of non-resistance to overcome opponents.
It contains no sporting or competitive elements and can only be used for self-defence.
It can be pursued at many levels and with many different degrees
of vigour, but because it relies ultimately on the use of soft
physical contact it can be practised and improved upon late into
life. (top)