ECOLE DE BUDO RAJI TIMISOARA - RYU AIKIDO JODO IAIDO

AIKIDO

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Nothing can be said about AIKIDO, without starting to talk about Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) first. Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "THE WAY OF UNIFYING (with) LIFE ENERGY" or as "THE WAY OF HARMONIOUS SPIRIT." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.

Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba's involvement with the Ōmoto-kyō religion. Many of Ueshiba's senior students have different approaches to aikido, depending on when they studied with him. Today aikido is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba. Aikido was first brought to the rest of the world in 1951 by Minoru Mochizuki with a visit to France where he introduced aikido techniques to judo students. He was followed by Tadashi Abe in 1952 who came as the official Aikikai Hombu representative, remaining in France for seven years. Then it spread in United States in 1953. Later in that year, Koichi Tohei was sent by Aikikai Hombu to Hawaii, for a full year, where he set up several dojo. This was followed up by several further visits and is considered the formal introduction of aikido to the United States. The United Kingdom followed in 1955; Italy in 1964; Germany and Australia in 1965. Designated "Official Delegate for Europe and Africa" by Morihei Ueshiba, Masamichi Noro arrived in France in September 1961. Today there are aikido dojo available throughout the world. The biggest aikido organisation is the Aikikai Foundation which remains under the control of the Ueshiba family.

In aikido, as in most of all Japanese martial arts, there are both physical and mental aspects of training. Because a substantial portion of any aikido curriculum consists of throws, the first thing most students learn is how to safely fall or roll. The specific techniques for attack include both strikes and grabs; the techniques for defense consist of throws and pins. After basic techniques are learned, students study freestyle defense against multiple opponents, and in certain styles, techniques with weapons.

The weapons used in aikido trainings: Jo - short stick, Bokken - wooden sword and Tanto - wooden knife. The part of aikido training related to jo is called aiki-jo and the one with bokken is called aiki-ken. Unarmed training is called Tai-Jutsu.

Clothing used in the training consists of aikido gi - white kimono to white belt kyu grade 1 respectively after first dan black belt. All styles of aikido wearing large black - hakama, in some styles worn since the second kyu and the other after receiving the first dan.

Participation in aikido trainings is both for men, women; from children to older people.

Bibliography:

wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aikido

John Stevens - Aikido Secrets