An Instructor's Perspective on Aikido

Aikido is like many other Japanese martial arts. It consists of a system of techniques and movements and rules to employ those techniques. To differentiate aikido from other martial arts it may be easier to outline first what is not aikido. Aikido is not sport fighting - there are no points, no rounds of combat, no ring. Aikido is not exercise - there are no poses, no dances, no creative postures. What then is Aikido? Aikido is a classical Japanese martial art.

To be more precise, aikido is a combat system developed from other bujutsu and refined by Morehei Ueshiba Sensei (O'Sensei). Aikido is a budo, physical and spirirtual development which is founded in military training methods. The path of aikido is more than a hobby. A student in aikido embarks on a path longer and more difficult than simply learning to fight. A student in aikido must always remember the foundation from which aikido came and the weight of training that comes with that origin. An aikido student must be versed in the principles of warfare and must develop a warrior's spirit.