Aikido

Aikido is a martial art that reflects its underlying philosophy of peace and harmony. Aikido does not follow a strategy of incapacitating an aggressor through violence, instead the techniques form a system of self-defence where the power of an aggressor’s own attacks is used to throw or immobilise them.

Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido contains no punches, kicks or strikes and the techniques do not rely on blocking an aggressor’s attacks. Aikido seeks to remove conflict from a confrontation; attacks are obviously viewed as creating conflict and blocking an attack is also seen as creating conflict. It is often said by the sensei that you should never interfere with an aggressor’s attack, but instead lead them into a technique.

Aikido is designed to provide defence from attack by either single or multiple aggressors. Training also involves the use of weapons to practice techniques for disarming attackers and to practice extending Ki through an object. Many people find facing an attacker who is armed much more intimidating the one who is unarmed, training with weapons allows a student to overcome such fears.