For a basic understanding of the art of Aikido we should start with the man who created it. His name was Morihei Ueshiba. He was a master of several different martial arts and weapon arts and formulated Aikido from these different arts. He was a very religious man who believed above all else that love is the ultimate truth and that through his art he could help the world realize this truth as well. He believed in self-protection and the loving protection of all living things. To train in Aikido is to better ones self in many ways: mentally, physically and spiritually.

Aikido has two main attributes. When one trains in Aikido, one learns not only how to execute the many techniques of Aikido but also how to receive the techniques without getting hurt in the learning process. This is called Ukemi or the art of falling. In Aikido, one learns many ways to keep ones body safe from an attack and many ways to control the attack of another.

Aikido's main principle is to utilize the energy of the attacker. Aikido will show you how to redirect the attacker's energy and use it to control the attacker's body. Through years of training, your body and mind begin to connect and you begin to become receptive to the energy emanating from your attackers body and without thinking, use that energy to resolve the attack to a peaceful end.

Aikido uses weapons training to train the body to move effectively and efficiently. There are two weapons you will learn to use. One is called the Bokken and one is called the Jo. There is another training weapon that is used called a Tanto, but only for training in knife defense.

If you would like to see some pictures and video clips of Aikido techniques, visit the Aikido FAQ Multimedia page. It has many good examples of techniques you will learn here at the Pasadena Aikikai.