Not a religion, yet founded on spirit. Not a science, though a methodical approach to natural law. Not a sport, but vigorous and athletic. Aikido is a way for one to expand the spirit, balance the body and quiet the mind.
Our lives are governed by the forces of nature. Aikido is a way to recognize these forces and respond to them appropriately. Its premise is nonresistance. One does not compete with superior force; one blends with it and leads it to a harmonious reconciliation. This requires training the body and mind together.
On Master Morihei Ueshiba
Aikido is a relatively new martial art founded by Master Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). As a youth, Ueshiba Sensei, or O-Sensei (Great Teacher) as he was called, applied himself to many arduous years of training in the Japanese martial arts. He mastered jiu-jitsu, the use of the spear, the staff and the sword. O-Sensei also delved deeply into Zen Buddhism and the Shinto religion. Although he became very accomplished in the martial arts, he was troubled by the idea that winning at someone else’s expense was not a real victory. He came to realize that the true martial skill is not the ability to defeat others, but to defeat the discord within oneself. Though he was an acknowledged master, he began to practice movements and explore them deeply, searching mentally, and sitting for long hours in meditation.
Finally in 1925 his search was rewarded.; “I was walking in the garden by myself,” he said “when I felt that the universe suddenly quaked, and that a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled me and changed my body into a golden one. At that moment I was enlightened, and endless tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. I had become free of all desire, not only for position, fame, and property, but also from the need of power over others. I understood that God’s love pulses through everything and the secret of life is harmony with this flow. I saw that whoever has the mind to fight has broken his harmony with the universe and has already been defeated. The way of the warrior is to give life to all things, to reconcile the world, to foster the completion of everyone’s mission. The way is the Confluent Spirit, the way I call Aikido”.
The Meaning of the word “Aikido”
The word Aikido in Japanese is made up of three characters, or kanji. The first and most important is “Ai” which means “meet, come together, harmonize”. The second kanji is “Ki” which means “soul, mind, spirit”. In a larger context, Ki refers to the spirit of the universe and not just the spirit in human beings. The third and last kanji is “Do” which means “the way”, to signify that Aikido involves an outer and inner practice over the long term. These three Japanese kanji “Ai-Ki-Do”, mean the way of harmonizing with the universe.
Aikido Movements and Techniques
The movements of Aikido emphasize a flowing flexibility and maintaining a stable balance. The aim of an Aikidoist is to be both physically and emotionally centered and to maintain a calm, alert posture. The continuous and flexible movements at the waist is like a dance, a graceful and spherical motion. Much of the beauty of Aikido movements derives for coordinated motion of the entire body, with each movement of the body part contributing to the integrated pattern of the whole.