What is aikido?

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei (great teacher). As a young man the founder studied various traditional martial arts including the spear, sword and unarmed methods; most notably the Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu. Extraordinarily talented, Ueshiba O-Sensei was sought to teach high-level members of the military and government officials. A deeply spiritual man, he eventually became convinced that the true purpose of the martial arts was one of self-perfection rather than simply defeating an opponent. With this realization he created aikido.

To the casual observer aikido is a system of throws, strikes, joint locks and pinning techniques, including the study of traditional weapons such as the sword and staff - a method of defeating an opponent, a means of self-defense. In reality aikido has a much deeper purpose. To understand aikido we must first recognize that aikido is a traditional Japanese budo - a martial way. To understand budo, we need to understand a little of Japan's history.

Early Japan was a land of many wars, governed by a feudal system which created and sustained a warrior class, the samurai. Driven by the need to succeed in battle, the samurai developed comprehensive armed and unarmed fighting systems, the bugei - or in modern terms the martial arts.

The study of the bugei primarily as a means of victory in battle continued until the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1600. The ensuing 250 years of peace was a period in which the role of the samurai class and its relationship to Japanese society would evolve from that of the consumate fighting man to one of a role model for all society. No longer needed solely for the purpose of battle, influenced by Zen Buddhism and Confucianism which value virtue and order over sheer might, the bugei began to be studied not only as fighting methods but also as disciplines for refining the individual. It is here that jutsu (technique) becomes do (a way) and bugei (martial arts) becomes budo (martial ways).

Aikido, through the vision of its founder, is an extension of this history. As such its purpose is not only one of an effective martial art, but that of a conduit for understanding yourself and your interaction with the world around you. It is a way to cultivate the human spirit, to foster the values of mutual respect, responsibility, understanding and trust while enhancing the positive qualities of courage, compassion, stamina and inner strength. In this way aikido contributes positively to both the individual and society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aiki Shoshinkai
Waukegan, IL 60085
(847) 244-8877
info@aikishoshinkai.com