Learning Aikido and Dedicating Yourself to Martial Arts

In many ways, Aikido is the epitome of Martial Arts.

It cultivates the mind, places an emphasis on keeping your ego in check, and in our Dojo, it never loses sight of it’s martial heritage.  It is directly descended from the Japanese Samurai warrior class and uses flowing circular motions to subdue an aggressor.

“Ai Ki Do” translates as:

​“AI”  harmony / blending
“KI” spirit / intention
“DO” way

Aikido is therefore: the way of blending with the opponents intentions.

What are the building blocks of Aikido?

The Kihon Dosa and the Kihon Waza are the corner-stone of our Aikido.  They are interrelated, the basic and the technique.  In all things Aikido this is so.

The motions of Aikido allow a practitioner to move around an opponent’s power, taking his balance and either controlling him or throwing him to the ground. These techniques are effective even against much larger and stronger opponents.

Yoshinkan Aikido is sometimes referred to as the “hard style” of Aikido, due to the strict attention paid to correct form throughout all motions and techniques.

Aikido has no sparring or competition. Training is done individually or in pairs. Each pair works together in a co-operative manner to improve the form and effectiveness of the techniques. All techniques are first learned in such formal “kata”. As the student progresses, techniques become more fluid.

Students of all levels are encouraged to maintain a “beginners mind.”

This is a life long pursuit not something that is attained just by changing the colour of your belt.