Aikido
Aikido is a very powerful Japanese martial art that is defensive in nature. It is non-competitive and non-aggressive. It does not meet force with resistance or brute strength; instead, it redirects an aggressor’s force with well-timed, flowing, circular movements that lead an attacker off their centre of balance. Rather than relying on our strength to protect us, the attacker’s motions and momentum compromise their balance and stability. Once off-balance, they are subdued or dispensed using joint locks, pins, or throws.
“Aikido teaches you to stay calm and composed, even in the most stressful situations. By mastering mental and physical relaxation, practitioners can confidently and boldly execute movements with precision and a clear mind.”
The Yoshinkan Style of Aikido
Yoshinkan Aikido is occasionally called the “hard” style because the strict and sometimes gruelling training methods are a product of the pre-war military period that Gozo Shioda spent as a student of Ueshiba.
Yoshinkan Aikido uses six fundamental training movements and about 150 common defensive techniques practiced repeatedly. Mastering these basics permits students to execute the remaining techniques, which are thought to total about 3000 in all.
Yoshinkan Aikido is not a sport. It is the cooperative development of both physical and mental dexterity. However, there is also an incredibly powerful and practical self-defence side of Aikido that is available to all, irrespective of size, age, gender, race or culture.
“One should be prepared to receive 99% of an enemy’s attack and stare death right in the face”
— Morihei Ueshiba on how to perform techniques without hesitation, The Art of Peace