Orange County Aiki Kai

Aikido was developed by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), also known as O-sensei (great teacher). He had a reputation of being virtually invincible in many traditional armed and unarmed fighting arts, including jujitsu and swordsmanship.  Ueshiba was troubled with the way in which the traditional martial arts dealt with conflict.  He believed that winning at someone else’s expense did not represent an ultimate solution. He began to study, examine and practice movements that would lead to the development of a new and more harmonious martial art. This new martial art envisioned the right of every living creature to grow and develop in their own way. The result of O-sensei’s study was the birth of Aikido.

All the teachings of Aikido are a physical representation of Ueshiba’s philosophy of protecting all living creatures. They use the idea of dynamic harmony rather than conflict. Aikido techniques involve avoidance, control and neutralization. Movements are flowing and graceful. They reflect the fully realized potential of mind, body and spirit. One must remain relaxed and calm. Following this method, the student is able to blend with the power of the opponent’s attack and begin to take control.

By utilizing techniques that place the opponent in an unstable position, the student has the choice of either using a hold-down technique or throwing the opponent to neutralize the attack. These methods are practiced against various strikes and assaults from all possible directions.  If you have never seen Aikido before, the following points may help your understanding and increase your enjoyment of the art:

• The heart and soul of any form of martial art are the basics.
• Classes progress from warm-up stretches to simple movements that demonstrate the basic principles of Aikido, which then leads to the basic techniques.
• The most important thing to remember about Aikido is its principle of harmony. When watching, look out for the “blending of energy.” If you have ever sailed, surfed or skied, you will recognize the underlying principle immediately: “Go with the flow.”