What is Aikido?

HomeWhat is Aikido?

Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art with roots in the Samurai tradition. It can mean many things to different people. Here are some of the core principles:

Focused on locks and throws rather than punches or kicks
Based on the principle that confrontation should be dealt with in a way that minimizes harm to ALL parties
Collaborative: you do Aikido WITH someone, not TO them
Non-competitive: there are no tournaments or other competitions.

Aikido training can be adapted to suit your body and your needs. For some it's vigorous and athletic. For others it's more meditative. Each person retains the responsibility and autonomy that allows them to decide for themselves where their limits are.

How is Aikido different from other martial arts?

There are techniques in Aikido that exist (sometimes even with the same name) in other martial arts. What makes them Aikido techniques is that they are employed in a way that is consistent with Aikido principles. This means that we avoid force and domination. We use Aikido to meet aggression and re-direct it so that it causes minimal harm to any of the participants involved in the interaction. The training is mostly conducted in pairs or small groups working on specific techniques that help us internalize responses to specific types of situations. We call these situations attacks, but they are not really meant to be truly realistic versions of fighting. They are meant to help us learn to recognize safety and how to get there. As you progress, these situations become faster and more intense, but you always have the final say in what is OK and what is too much.

While we learn in an environment of carefully calibrated simulated conflict, many people feel that the real value of Aikido training is not discovered in the alley behind the bar or at the bus station in the middle of the night. Rather it's found in the everyday interactions where people lack control and perspective and things risk getting heated. The Aikido mind-set helps you keep your cool and flow with the situation when others around you may be losing it. This is not to say that Aikido teaches you fold in order to avoid conflict. Quite the opposite. While we may have "fight or flight" in our core makeup, with sufficient training, there is another option: engage and respond. This is Aikido. The place where you can stand for what matters without making everything into a battle. We feel that the world needs this now more than ever.

Who Can Do Aikido?

Aikido can be practiced by almost everyone. Our dojo has students who range in age from under 10 to over 80. Some are athletic, some are not. Aikido is different for every body, and will adapt and change over time as your body changes due to age or injury. In order for Aikido training to be accessible, a person needs to be willing to let other people touch them and to give up some control over their body in a highly regulated environment with a strong culture of safety.

Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the son of Aikido's founder, once wrote that any person that can walk up a flight of stairs and lift 15 pounds can practice Aikido. Since that time, we've gained a more expansive view. Aikido is practiced by people who don't use stairs, as well as people who have mobility challenges, vision or hearing impairment, and intellectual disability.