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Introduction to Aikido


Aikido History
Aikido Timeline
Founder of Aikido
Hiji Dori
Introduction to Aikido
Jo Kata
Katadori Menuchi
Kata Dori
Maai Distance Drills
Maai Gap Drills
The Ki in Aikido
Words of O'Sensei
Weapons Training
Katate Dori

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Introduction To Aikido

What is Aikido?

Whenever I move, that's Aikido.
O Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba




What are the different styles in Aikido?

There are no 'styles' of Aikido. It is like cheese cake. You can cut it in wedges or squares or just dig in with your fork but it is still cheese cake!



Since this list is going to be challenging enough without looking for extra work, we'll restrict our definition of Aikido to mean styles that clearly trace their lineage to Ueshiba O Sensei. The classification into categories is fairly arbitrary.

The "Old" Schools

Here we'll list the schools that developed from the pre-war teachings.

Most of the early students of O Sensei began during this period and much of the early practice overseas was in this style (e.g. Abbe Sensei's teaching in the UK in the 50s).




The "Modern" Schools

This includes most of the variants taught today. Most of these "styles" are taught by various senior students of O Sensei, with the divergences coming after the death of the Founder. Most would claim to be teaching the art that O Sensei taught them - and this is probably true even though some have little in common with others! Taken together with O Sensei's notorious obscurity in teaching style, the story of the elephant and the blind men may give us some clue as to how this could have come about :-).


The "Traditional" Schools

The Aikikai is the common name for the style headed by Moriteru Ueshiba, O Sensei's grandson, as taught under the auspices of the International Aikido Federation. Most regard this school as the mainline in Aikido development.



The "Ki" Schools


Shin-shin Toitsu Aikido



The "Sporting" Styles

One of the other big breaks in Aikido history occurred during O Sensei's life when Kenji Tomiki proposed "rationalizing" Aikido training using Kata and Competition. Since that time, there has been little commonality between the Tomiki schools and the mainline Aikido schools.





Can Aikido be used for self-defense?

"Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered,
those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid.

Yes, Aikido can be a very effective form of self-defense However, it can take considerable time and effort before Aikido (or any martial art) can be used effectively in a self-defense situation.

Does Aikido take longer time to master and apply than other martial arts?

"If you knew the time it took me to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful."

The simple answer is "yes". A year in Karate/Tae Kwon Do/Kempo and you can probably fight much better than before. It takes well over a year before you start feeling comfortable enough with Aikido techniques to imagine using them in "real life".

The complex answer is "no" in the sense that I don't think anyone ever feels like they have "mastered" an art. If they do then they've stopped growing, or the art is too simple. In Funakoshi's autobiography you definitely get the feeling that he doesn't feel like a "master" and is bemused to be considered one.

An old story might tell you some of the mindset you ought to apply when studying martial arts:

"Ten years at least," the master answered.
"Twenty years," replied the master.
"Thirty years," was the master's reply.


Though there are many paths
At the foot of the mountain
All those who reach the top
See the same moon.


The answer to this question is very subjective - students of any particular martial art tend to favor that one over any other (otherwise they would probably be studying the other martial art).

There are many different but equally valid reasons for studying any martial art, such as for self defense, for spiritual growth or enlightenment, for general physical health, for self-confidence and more. Different martial arts, and even different styles within a particular martial art, emphasize different aspects.




Can I train an additional martial art while training Aikido?

Eat right, exercise regularly, die anyway.

Yes. There is no problem in training several martial arts at the same time, but there is one thing to watch out for. If you have not gotten yourself a solid base in one martial art first you are going to confuse yourself when you start your second art. The result is (very likely) that your progress in both martial arts is going to be slower than if you trained first one and then another.

What kind of martial art you choose to train in addition to Aikido is of course entirely up to what you yourself like and feel comfortable with. A suggestion is that if you start to train an additional art early, the more different from Aikido the better, as you'll probably not be too much confused then.

Does Aikido have competitions?

"I like tall men. I like to turn them into small men."
A Tomiki Aikido Sensei



Most Aikido training, even in schools with competitions, is of a cooperative rather than antagonistic nature, with both thrower (nage) and throwee (uke) working as partners and trying to optimize the experience of the other.

This "working partnership" is also necessary to a) minimize the chance of injury from practicing (potentially dangerous) Aikido techniques, and b) to develop both partners' capacity to "take ukemi" - to be relaxed and able to take care of oneself when responding to "falling" or being thrown in a martial situation.


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