| Aikido is a name which is created by linking three | | | | Despite all his knowledge Ueshiba wasn't satisfied |
| characters in Japanese. Ai means joining, Ki refers | | | | because he felt that something was missing. This |
| to spirit and do means way. By taking these | | | | was where he found religion in the hands of |
| three terms together you get the essence of the | | | | Onisaburo Deguchiof the leader of the sect of |
| art of aikido. Aikido can then be defined as a form | | | | Omoto-Kyo in Ayabe. It was Deguchiof who |
| of martial art which joins the spirit in order to find | | | | taught him to take care of his spiritual self. With |
| the way. In the 1930's - 1940's this was officially | | | | the combination of the spiritual and his cumulative |
| accepted as the definition as the true name of | | | | knowledge of martial arts led to formation of |
| this martial art. | | | | Aikido. |
| Aikido emphasizes techniques that do not damage | | | | By associating with Deguchiof he also go to meet |
| or kill people unlike other different forms of | | | | the ruling and military elite as a martial artist. Due |
| martial arts. These skills and movements which | | | | too this connection he then established a spiritual |
| are taught are created in order to divert a | | | | discipline and transferred this teaching to different |
| person's focus or immobilize that person. Most | | | | students. These students over time developed |
| people prefer this discipline because it is a peaceful | | | | their different styles and additions to Aikido. |
| and harmonious compared to aggression and | | | | Aikido is a diverse mélange of the various |
| conflict. Morihei Ueshiba who developed the martial | | | | styles of Jujitsu and some other techniques of |
| art believed that the control of aggression without | | | | other arts such as sword and spear fighting. |
| any resultant injury was the art of peace. | | | | Ueshiba was an expert in all these arts. This |
| Ueshiba is also O sensei, which translates to Great | | | | martial art combines certain joint locks and |
| Teacher in English. He created aikido from the | | | | techniques which are employed in Jujitsu and |
| founding principles of Daito-Ryu -Aiki-Jujutsu. He | | | | movements that the body goes through |
| also made use of the different techniques of the | | | | whenever you're fighting with swords and spears. |
| yari, the spear; the juken, (a bayonet); and the | | | | Aikido was brought to the west by Minoru |
| Jo, (a short quarterstaff). Something that | | | | Mochizuki when he came to France in 1951. He |
| separates Aikido from other different martial arts | | | | introduced the aikido techniques to students who |
| is that Aikido uses hands as weapons and the | | | | were learning judo at the time. In 1952, Tadashi |
| individual has no use for weapons. | | | | Abe came to France as the official Aikikai Honbu |
| When Ueshiba was a child he focused a lot on | | | | representative. In 1953, Kenji Tomiki made a tour |
| physical fitness and conditioning due to the fact | | | | through the United States while Koichi Tohei |
| that he had vowed to avenge the death of his | | | | stayed in Hawaii for a full year where he set up a |
| father. He studied different martial arts including | | | | dojo and taught Aikido. Aikido then spread its |
| those with weapons and those without. This is | | | | influence in United Kingdom. In the year 1965 this |
| one of the reasons why this particular far eastern | | | | Japanese discipline was introduced to Germany |
| martial art is such a diverse and multi-disciplinary | | | | and Australian and now it exists all over the world. |
| field. | | | | |