Aikido

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Aikido was founded in the early to mid  20th century by Morihei Ueshiba, also referred to as O Sensei (Great  Teacher), in Japan. He grew up in a particularly violent time in Japan’s history and by all accounts was a master of many lethal martial arts  including swordsmanship, staff, jiujitsu and many others. It is said that O Sensei experienced a spiritual awakening and subsequently created the art of Aikido, The art of Peace. The word Aikido is translated as “The way of harmony” and this sentiment is the underpinning of Aikido training. 

Practitioners are taught to take the energy of an attack, blend with it and diffuse it while maintaining their safety as well at  the safety of the attacker. There are no counter techniques in aikido and no sparring. Aikido encourages one to be self-reflective and examine how by changing your reaction to a potentially unpleasant or violent  situation, you can change the outcome for the betterment of all involved. There is a common belief that the practice of Aikido is a way to bring peace to the world, one community at a time.