What is Aikido?

Aikido is a Japanese martial art. It is considered a "modern" martial art since it is relatively new having been developed in the mid-1900's. Morihei Ueshiba is the founder of Aikido. He developed the art over the course of many years as a result of three profound experiences in his life. We'll discuss these experiences in more detail in later posts.

Aikido is translated to mean "the way of harmony of ki." Ki is the vital life force within, energy, spirit. It is similar to the Chinese notion of chi/qi (if you are familiar with Tai Chi or Qigong). So, simply put Aikido is about finding a way to be in harmony with our vital life force. The specifics of what this means and how it impacts the practice of Aikido is a topic of much debate among aikidokas (practicitioners of Aikido). We'll save some of this for future posts as well.

For now, this is a start. Please let me know what you think and if you have questions, please post them in the comments.

Thank you. Arrigata gozaimushta.