AIKIDO- JAPAN

“A fusion of philosophy and religious beliefs” is the best way to describe an East Asian form of the martial art known as Aikido. This “grappling” form of combat is said to have originated from Japan and was created by a Japanese martial artist known as Morihei Ueshiba. Furthermore, when literally translated into English, Aikido literally means “the way of unifying with life energy”. Also, it is said to have developed from a martial art form known as “Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu”.

History/origin of Aikido:

According to the “Japanese” style of writing the term “Aikido” has been created using three characters i.e. Ai, Ki, and Do which means “unifying, energy, and way” respectively. Furthermore, it was developed by a Japanese martial artist named Morihei Ueshiba during the 1920s and 1930s.  Apparently, Ueshiba had studied martial art forms such as “Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu” and “Tenjin Shin’yō-ryū from masters such as Takeda Sokaku and Tozawa Tokusaburō. It was therefore combining elements belonging to “Daitō-ryū” and “Tenjin” that he developed yet another unique form of combat which was eventually known as “Aikido”. Besides, this martial art is said to have been mainly inspired by “Daitō-ryū”. In the year 1919, Ueshiba

a met a spiritual leader named Onisaburo Deguchi and was deeply influenced by his philosophy pertaining to “the attainment of a state of utopia” in life. So it was as a result of being impressed by this form of spiritual thinking of Deguchi that he (Ueshiba) introduced it into the basic framework of Aikido.

Weapons used in the Aikido:

The “hands and the feet” of the fi

ghter is mainly used as a weapon by a fighter. However, external weapons such as yari i.e. a spear, a staff i.e. jo, bokken i.e. wooden sword, and tanto i.e. knife may also be used by a fighter in Aikido.

The technique involved in the Aikido and training availability:

In terms of technique, a fighter essentially “unites energy” from within to overcome an opponent. In addition, a fighter in this form of combat often uses “grappling” techniques such as “throw or joint lock”. As for training centers/schools, there are many available around the world for those interested in learning this “grappling” martial art form.

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