The term Aikido literally means “the way of harmony with Ki,” but many other interpretations are possible. It is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba. He arrived at this martial art by combining his martial arts studies, philosophy, and religious thoughts. His goal was to develop a martial art that would not only enable practitioners to defend themselves but also to avoid injuring the attacker. Aikido is the sport where the attacker’s movement is used to go along with the motion rather than opposing it. This requires little physical energy because the aikidoka uses the attacker’s momentum combined with stepping and turning movements. These techniques are complemented by various throws and joint locks. Aikido can be classified under grappling.
Aikido is largely derived from the martial art Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu but began to diverge from it around 1920. This was partly due to Ueshiba’s connection with the Omoto-kyo religion. In the earliest documents, Ueshiba refers to the martial art as aiki-jujutsu. Many of Ueshiba’s older students have different views on Aikido, depending on the period in which they studied under him. Today, Aikido can be practiced worldwide. This martial art has many styles, but all are derived from the techniques developed by Ueshiba.
Aikido training
In Aikido, as in almost all other Japanese martial arts, there is both a physical and a mental aspect during training. The physical training in Aikido is diverse, focusing on both general physical condition and fitness. Since a large part of Aikido consists of throws, the student first learns how to roll and fall properly. The specific techniques for attacks include both grabs and strikes. The defense techniques consist of throws and joint locks. After the student has mastered the basic techniques, lessons with weapons can begin.
Roles of uke and nage
Aikido training mainly focuses on two partners performing prearranged patterns, called kata. The basic pattern involves the receiver of the technique (uke) attacking the thrower (nage), who then neutralizes the attack by applying an aikido technique. Both parts of the technique are essential for Aikido training. Nage learns to bend with the attacker and control the attacking energy, while uke learns to stay calm and flexible when at a disadvantage. This receiving of a technique is called ukemi. Uke is continuously working to find balance and cover weak spots, while nage uses positioning and speed to keep uke off balance and vulnerable. In more advanced training, uke can sometimes apply reversal techniques to regain balance.
Initial attacks
Aikido techniques are aimed at defending against an attack. To learn this well, students must also understand what a good attack is. Although there is no hard training on various attacks, the most common ones are well covered. Many strikes in Aikido are meant to represent a sword strike. Other techniques that resemble punches evoke movements made with a stabbing weapon. There is little training on kicks because kicks, especially high kicks, were not used on the battlefield in feudal Japan.
Some basic strikes are:
- Front of the head strike: a vertical open-hand strike to the head
- Side of the head strike: a diagonal open-hand strike to the side of the head or neck
- Chest strike: a strike to the chest
- Face strike: a strike to the face
Beginners primarily practice grips at first to feel the opponent’s energy. Some grips are derived from historical events, such as being held while trying to draw a weapon. A technique could then be used to break free and subsequently unbalance the opponent.
The grips below are examples of this.
- One-handed grip: one hand grabs one wrist
- Two-handed grip: both hands grab one wrist
- Two-handed grip: both hands grab both wrists
- Shoulder grip: grabbing a shoulder
- Chest grip: grabbing the chest or the clothing around the chest
Basic techniques
The techniques below are commonly used throws and locks. The exact terminology may vary between different organizations and styles, but the terms below are used by the Aikikai Foundation.
First technique
A movement where one hand applies pressure on the elbow and the other hand on the wrist to move the uke to the ground
Second technique
A wrist lock that twists the arm
Third technique
A rotating wrist lock
Fourth technique
A shoulder control where both hands grab the forearm
Fifth technique
The wrist is grabbed and then twisted to apply downward pressure on the elbow
Four directions throw
The hand is pressed behind the shoulder to lock the shoulder joint
Forearm lock
A lock where the forearm is clamped
Breath throw
A commonly used term for techniques without a lock
Incoming throw
Throws where nage steps into uke
Heaven-and-earth throw
Nage grabs one hand low and the other hand high, unbalancing uke
Hip throw
Nage lowers his hip below uke’s so that uke can be thrown over the hip
Figure ten throw
A throw where the arms are held against each other
Rotating throw
Nage grabs the arms, brings them behind the shoulder, and then pushes forward to throw
Weapons
Aikido training also involves weapons. Practice includes the short staff, wooden sword, and knife. Nowadays, some schools also teach how to handle situations where a firearm is drawn. There are also schools that do not train with weapons at all because they are strongly opposed to it. The opposite style is the Iwama style, which dedicates a lot of time and attention to the wooden sword and short staff.
Multiple attackers
In Aikido, training also includes defending against multiple attackers, known as taninzudori or taninzugake. Sparring with multiple attackers is an important part of many exams and is a mandatory component to achieve a higher rank. The goal is for the person to intuitively perform movements in an unstable environment. Strategic choice of techniques is a key part of the training. For example, a ura technique can be used to neutralize the current attacker, but this may leave the back exposed to the next attacker, allowing them to continue their attack unhindered.
Mental training
Aikido training is both mental and physical, focusing on relaxing the body and mind, even when in a dangerous situation. This is necessary to enable the practitioner to respond confidently in a fight. Morihei Ueshiba once said that “one must be prepared to take 99% of the attack and look death in the eye” to execute the technique without hesitation.
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