Aikido

Histoire

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba, known as O-Sensei ("great teacher"). He trained hard in several arts, above all Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu under Sokaku Takeda, and was deeply influenced by the Omoto-kyo religion. The name aikido — "the way of harmony with energy" — was settled in 1942.

Aikido avoids clashing with force: it uses the attacker's movement to throw or pin him with joint locks. After the war the Aikikai, led by Ueshiba's family, spread it worldwide, and his students created styles such as Yoshinkan (Gozo Shioda), Ki-Aikido (Koichi Tohei) and Tomiki/Shodokan, the only one with competition.

Le saviez-vous ?

• Most aikido schools have no competitions: practice is done in pairs, taking turns to attack and to fall.
• Advanced students wear the hakama, the wide pleated trousers of the samurai.
• Training includes weapons: the wooden sword (bokken) and staff (jo).
• The art of falling safely, ukemi, is one of the first things students learn.

Glossaire des techniques

Ikkyo

first control (arm pin)

Nikyo

second control (wrist lock)

Sankyo

third control (twisting wrist lock)

Shiho-nage

four-direction throw

Irimi-nage

entering throw

Kote-gaeshi

wrist-turn throw

Kokyu-nage

breath throw

Tenkan

turning step

Armes et équipement

Bokken

wooden sword

Jo

wooden staff (about 1.3 m)

Tanto

wooden knife

Hakama

wide pleated trousers

⚔ In the Arsenal

TantoBokkenJoKeikogi (gi)Hakama

☯ Philosophy and quotes

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”— Sun Tzu, The Art of War, ch. 3 (c. 5th century BC)

“Who conquers others is strong; who conquers himself is mighty.”— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, ch. 33 (c. 4th century BC)

“True victory is victory over oneself.”— Morihei Ueshiba, his motto "masakatsu agatsu" (20th century)

BudoDoDojoReiShu-ha-riMushinFudoshinKi / QiMa-aiMasakatsu agatsuDantian / tandenSee all →

Figures clés

• Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969) — founder of aikido
• Sokaku Takeda (1859–1943) — master of Daito-ryu, Ueshiba's teacher
• Gozo Shioda (1915–1994) — founder of Yoshinkan aikido
• Koichi Tohei (1920–2011) — founder of Ki-Aikido

Sources: Aikikai Foundation · International Aikido Federation