What is Aikido?

Aikido is a martial art created by Ueshiba Morihei, the Founder of Aikido, after mastering esoteric techniques of traditional Japanese martial arts and rigorous mental training.

The techniques of Aikido utilize the characteristics of the human body. In conducting your partner's power their balance breaks, and there you can utilize your own power to apply the technique. If the techniques are forced through strength, it becomes a collision of strength. When applying a technique, feelings of warring with your partner are thrown away, and techniques are applied with the feeling of becoming one with your partner.

Practice of Aikido is done with the intention of furthering the discipline of body and mind together. There are no tournaments or competitions where inferiority and superiority are decided.

This disciplining of body and mind happens while partners take turns as tori, the person applying the technique, and uke, the person receiving the technique.

Practice using brute force can often lead to injury, but harmonious and effortless practice is safe, and can be done with partners of any gender, age, physical size, and strength. By working with many people that way, a balanced humanity is developed.

While nurturing feelings of respect for your partner, self-serving egotism and selfishness are regulated, and the strength of heart to reach self-victory is also cultivated.

The Founder of Aikido, Ueshiba Morihei said, "Aiki is not an art for fighting your enemy or breaking your enemy. It is a path to make the world harmonious and to bring all persons into one family." Ueshiba Kisshomaru Second Doshu stated, "Without putting to use in society that which is cultivated during training, there is no meaning to the practice of budo in the present age."

We look to enrich our hearts while improving our ability to live, and to bring peace to society.