About Aikido

"Aikido is nonviolence. Every human being has been entrusted with a mandate from heaven, and the victory we seek is to overcome all challenges and fight to the finish, accomplishing our goals. In Aikido we never attack. If you want to strike first, to gain advantage over someone, that is proof your training is insufficient, and it is really you yourself who has been defeated. Let your partner attack, and use his aggression against him. Do not cower from an attack; control it before it begins. Nonviolence is the true practice of Aikido."
- Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido

O'sensei

Aikido is a non-violent, non-aggressive, non-competitive Japanese martial art that promotes a spirit of harmonious cooperation, personal development, and character refinement. Aikido was founded and developed by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) in the early part of the 20th century. O'Sensei ("Great Teacher"), as he is called, was an extraordinary swordsman and Jujitsu specialist who gained a reputation of being virtually unbeatable. Despite this achievement, he was profoundly troubled with a conflict between his martial skills and his spiritual training. He felt strongly that winning at someone else's expense was not really winning, and that his most formidable opponent was himself.

The birth of Aikido resulted from his long search to resolve this conflict in his life. O'Sensei concluded that the basic principles of the universe are harmony and love and that these can be attained through the martial arts. Hence, he combined his vast martial experience with this new insight to form Aikido; a new martial art based not on violence and destruction but on loving protection of all life. Aikido is a martial art for the modern day. Aikido does not cultivate a fighting spirit, but looks to find a harmonious resolution to conflict and aggression.