Aikido, the way of life – introduction

Early in the twentieth century, Sensei Morihei Ueshiba began to follow his own extensive study of various armed and unarmed martial systems. Sensei conceived of Aikido as not only a means of vanquishing a foe but as a means of promoting the positive character of the ideal warrior and ultimately of transcending dualistic conflict. For Sensei, Aikido was a path of self-development. He believed that it could be a means for anyone, of any nation, to follow the same path.

"The true warrior is always armed with three things: the glittering sword of peace, the mirror of courage, wisdom, friendship, and the precious gem of enlightenment."

Rather than primarily linear motions, Aikido is comprised of blending, turning, circling, and spiraling. It is a comprehensive system of throwing, joint locking, striking and pinning techniques, coupled with training in traditional Japanese weapons such as the sword, stick, and knife. Aikido is a skill whose regular exercise improves the mental, physical, and psychophysical abilities of a human being necessary to carry out everyday duties. In today's fast-paced life, everyday stress and increased health disturbance, it is necessary to dedicate a part of free time to quality vacation, which is just a quality activity. Aikido can be very challenging to learn, yet at the same time can be rewarding because it is ultimately bringing us into harmony with ourselves, and with our world and helping us to become more complete and integrated human beings. How can it, however, be adapted to the demands of modern life and at the same time preserve health and to maintain the quality of work, and living? One way is certainly Aikido as a Skill of activity and movement through breathing, meditation, KI exercises and Aikido exercises and techniques. These are the most effective elements to maintain the level of psychophysical abilities needed to work in the work environment and to preserve health. Everyone can be involved in Aikido training because there is no age limit for starting the exercise. Also, one should not forget that although the main characteristics of Aikido are peaceful philosophy and nonviolence, Aikido techniques are simultaneously extremely effective and applicable.

So, if you want to experience it you need to know that to start training in Aikido, it is necessary to find a dojo near you. Remember that the energy or “vibes” of a school comes from of its members, and those are the people with whom you will be working and training closely. Once you have found a dojo and decided that you’d like to continue training, you should try to attend classes at least two times per week. I have been practising Aikido for about 4 years now and I can say that I became a more peaceful and patient person. Aikido has changed the way I see the whole world...

Morihei Ueshiba image was taken from https://www.aikidoofgainesville.com/morihei-ueshiba-osensei-founder.html

Thanks for reading my post, hope I’ve got you interested in Aikido with this little introduction of mine! 😊