Aikido- The Way Of Harmony

If your wondering , yes i do train in the art of aikido and many other arts. ill have more info on that at the end.  Lets stary with the basic things.

Aikido (%u5408%u6C17%u9053, aikid%u014D?), translated as "the way of harmonious spirit". Aikido is also known as the the way of harmony or the Art Of Peace

Aikido is a japanese art developed by Morihei Ueshiba  during the late 1920's as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs.

Now to the HISTORY behind aikido 

Aikido emphasizes joining with an attack and redirecting the attacker's energy, as opposed to meeting force with force, and consists primarily of body throws and joint-locking techniques.

In addition to physical fitness and technique, mental training, controlled relaxation, and development of "spirit" (ki) are emphasized in aikido training.

• %u5408 - ai - joining
• %u6C17 - ki - spirit
• %u9053 - d%u014D - way

Aikido is a martial arts principle or tactic.
It describes an idea of joining together in the midst of combat. This principle finds expressions in such lethal concepts as the "mutual strike/kill" (%u76F8%u6483%u3061, ai-uchi?), but in aikido it generally describes the elevated notion of moving together rather than clashing.

Emphasis is upon unifying with the rhythm and intent of the opponent in order to find the optimal position and timing with which to apply the technique.

The techniques of aikido can, when applied judiciously, divert or immobilize rather than damage or kill.

As a result, some consider aikido to be a practical symbol of meeting aggression (physical, verbal, etc.) with an effective but merciful response, and finding harmony in conflict. Ueshiba declared, "To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba (%u690D%u829D %u76DB%u5E73 Ueshiba Morihei , 14 December1883 - 26 April 1969), also known by aikido practitioners as %u014Csensei ("Great Teacher").

Ueshiba developed aikido primarily during the late 1920s through the 1930s through the synthesis of the older martial arts that he had studied

BE ADVISED THIS LINKS MAY CONTAIN ALOT OF USEFULL INFORMATION TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND. THE LINKS ARE THE ORANGE LETTERING.  CLICK AT YOUR OWN WILL! 

The core martial art from which aikido derives is Dait%u014D-ry%u016B aiki-j%u016Bjutsu, which Ueshiba studied directly with Takeda Sokaku (%u6B66%u7530 %u60E3%u89D2 Takeda S%u014Dkaku, 1859-1943), the revivor of that art.

Ueshiba is known to have studied Tenjin Shin'y%u014D-ry%u016B with Tozawa Tokusabur%u014D (%u6238%u6CA2 %u5FB3%u4E09%u90CE, 1848-1912) in Tokyo in 1901, Got%u014Dha Yagy%u016B Shingan-ry%u016B under Nakai Masakatsu (%u4E2D%u4E95 %u6B63%u52DD, fl. 1891-1908) in Sakai from 1903 to 1908, and judo with Kiyoichi Takagi (%u9AD8%u6728 %u559C%u4EE3%u5B50 Takagi Kiyoichi, 1894-1972) in Tanabe in 1911.
The art of Dait%u014D-ry%u016B is the primary technical influence on aikido

Along with empty-handed throwing and joint-locking techniques, Ueshiba incorporated training movements with weapons, such as those for the spear (yari), short staff (j%u014D), and perhaps the bayonet (j%u016Bken). However, aikido derives much of its technical structure from the art of swordsmanship (kenjutsu)

Aikido was first brought to the West in 1951 by Minoru Mochizuki (%u671B%u6708 %u7A14 M%u014Dchizuki Minoru, 1907-2003) with a visit to France where he introduced aikido techniques to judo students. He was followed by Tadashi Abe (%u963F%u90E8 %u6B63 Abe Tadashi, 1926-1984) in 1952 who came as the official Aikikai Hombu representative, remaining in France for seven years. Kenji Tomiki (%u5BCC%u6728 %u8B19%u6CBB Tomiki Kenji, 1900-1979) toured with a delegation of various martial arts through fifteen continental states of the United States in 1953.[9] Subsequently in that year, Koichi Tohei (%u85E4%u5E73 %u5149%u4E00 T%u014Dhei K%u014Dichi, born 1920) was sent by Aikikai Hombu to Hawaii, for a full year, where he set up several dojo. This was backed up by several further visits and is considered the formal introduction of aikido to the United States. The United Kingdom followed in 1955; Italy in 1964; Germany and Australia in 1965. Today there are aikido dojo available to train throughout the world.

The Pysics Behind Aikido

In aikido, as in virtually all Japanese martial arts, there are both physical and mental aspects of training

The physical training in aikido is diverse, covering both general physical fitness and conditioning, as well as specific techniques Because a substantial portion of any aikido curriculum consists of throws, the first thing most students learn is how to safely fall or roll (i have the most trouble doing this but im getting better).

The specific techniques for attack include both strikes and grabs; the techniques for defense consist of throws and pins. After basic techniques are learned, students study freestyle defense against multiple opponents, and in certain styles, techniques with weapons.

Many of the strikes (%u6253%u3061, uchi?) of aikido are often said to resemble blows 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.

EXAMPLES 

• Front-of-the-head strike (%u6B63%u9762%u6253%u3061, sh%u014Dmen'uchi?) a vertical knife-hand strike to the head.
• Side-of-the-head strike (%u6A2A%u9762%u6253%u3061, yokomen'uchi?) a diagonal knife-hand strike to the side of the head or neck.
• Chest thrust (%u80F8%u7A81%u304D, mune-tsuki) a punch to the torso. Specific targets include the chest, abdomen, and solar plexus. Same as "middle-level thrust" (%u4E2D%u6BB5%u7A81%u304D, ch%u016Bdan-tsuki), and "direct thrust" (%u76F4%u7A81%u304D, choku-tsuki?).
• Face thrust (%u9854%u9762%u7A81%u304D, ganmen-tsuki) a punch to the face. Same as "upper-level thrust" (%u4E0A%u6BB5%u7A81%u304D, j%u014Ddan-tsuki).
• Single-hand grab (%u7247%u624B%u53D6%u308A, katate-dori?) one hand grabs one wrist.
• Both-hands grab (%u8AF8%u624B%u53D6%u308A, morote-dori?) both hands grab one wrist.
• Both-hands grab (%u4E21%u624B%u53D6%u308A, ry%u014Dte-dori?) both hands grab both wrists. Same as "double single-handed grab" (%u4E21%u7247%u624B%u53D6%u308A, ry%u014Dkatate-dori?).
• Shoulder grab (%u80A9%u53D6%u308A, kata-dori?) a shoulder grab. %u3000"Both-shoulders-grab" is ry%u014Dkata-dori (%u4E21%u80A9%u53D6%u308A, ry%u014Dkata-dori?)
• Chest grab (%u80F8%u53D6%u308A, mune-dori?) grabbing the (clothing of the) chest. Same as "collar grab" (%u895F%u53D6%u308A, eri-dori?).
• First technique (%u4E00%u6559, ikky%u014D?) a control using one hand on the elbow and one on near the wrist which leverages uke to the ground. This grip also applies pressure into the ulnar nerve on the medial side of the arm.
• Second technique (%u4E8C%u6559, niky%u014D?) an adductive wristlock that torques the arm and applies painful nerve pressure.
• Third technique (%u4E09%u6559, sanky%u014D?) a pronating technique that directs upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder.
• Fourth technique (%u56DB%u6559, yonky%u014D?) a shoulder control similar to ikky%u014D, but with both hands gripping the forearm. The knuckles (from the palm side) are applied to the recipient's radial nerve against the periosteum of the forearm bone.
• Fifth technique (%u4E94%u6559, goky%u014D?) a variant of ikky%u014D in which the hand gripping the wrist is inverted. Common in tant%u014D and other weapon take-aways.
• Four-direction throw (%u56DB%u65B9%u6295%u3052, shih%u014Dnage?) The hand is folded back past the shoulder, locking the shoulder joint.
• Forearm return (%u5C0F%u624B%u8FD4%u3057, kotegaeshi?) a supinating wristlock-throw that stretches the extensor digitorum.
• Breath throw (%u547C%u5438%u6295%u3052, koky%u016Bnage?) a term for various types of flowing "timing throws".
• Entering throw (%u5165%u8EAB%u6295%u3052, iriminage?) throws in which nage moves through the space occupied by uke. The classic form superficially resembles a "clothesline" technique.
• Heaven-and-earth throw (%u5929%u5730%u6295%u3052, tenchinage?) beginning with ry%u014Dte-dori; moving forward, nage sweeps one hand low ("earth") and the other high ("heaven"), which unbalances uke so that he or she easily topples over.
• Hip throw (%u8170%u6295%u3052, koshinage?) aikido's version of the hip throw. Nage drops his or her hips lower than those of uke, then flips uke over the resultant fulcrum.
• Shaped-like-"ten" throw (%u5341%u5B57%u6295%u3052, j%u016Bjinage?) a throw that locks the arms against each other. (The kanji for "10" is a cross-shape: %u5341)
• Rotation throw (%u56DE%u8EE2%u6295%u3052, kaitennage?) nage sweeps the arm back until it locks the shoulder joint, then uses forward pressure to throw.

OK that is all i will tell you in order to learn the full extent youll have to purchase the books and dvd these fine websites offer.

despite this as it might come across as boring i cant get enough of the classes there soooo fun.  throwing your classmates around on mats and learning how to role is really fun.  not to mention training with a wooden katana called a boken is very entertaining.

so please join your local aikido classes and get some dvds and books i offer below and some high carbon steel swords and throwing knives.