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WHAT
IS AIKIDO?
Aikido is a modern martial art developed in the middle of the last century
by O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. Aikido was the result of his intensive study
into the Japanese sword, stick and body arts which he rationalised and
fused into a unified system of principles.
AIKIDO
PRACTICE
Practice in Aikido consists of weapons training, empty handed techniques,
working with multiple attackers and all of the scenarios in between. Training
is vigorous but conducted in partnership with other students; there is
no competition in Aikido. Daily training is structured and methodical;
it begins with the basics and progresses through to a multitude of more
advanced and applied techniques. To assist in understanding, the foundations
or principles of Aikido are continually reinforced across the spectrum
of weapons and empty handed techniques.
WHO
IS AIKIDO SUITABLE FOR?
One of the key principles of Aikido is that of using your opponents force
against them in order to bring them under control; for this reason Aikido
is very popular with the world’s security forces and is suitable
for all regardless of size, sex or age.
BENEFITS
OF AIKIDO
Aside from being an effective fighting art, Aikido training will benefit
you in other ways; it will:
Strengthen the body
Increase flexibility
Improve fitness
Increase confidence
Improve concentration and focus
Strengthen the mind
Above all else training will achieve Aikido’s real goal of forging strength of character through hard, sincere training.
LINEAGE
Morihei
UESHIBA O-Sensei (1883-1969)
O'Sensei (GREAT TEACHER), the founder of Aikido became famous as one of
the strongest men in Japan in the early part of the 19th Century. He retired
to the rural town of Iwama in the Ibaraki prefecture in 1942. Here he
immersed himself in farming and the pursuit of martial integrity and over
the next 27 years developed and perfected the art of Aikido in both its
technical and philosophical areas. On his passing he bequeathed the charge
of the Iwama dojo and title of guardian of the Aiki Shrine to Morihiro
Saito Sensei.
Morihiro
SAITO Sensei (1928-2002)
A native of Iwama, Morihiro Saito Sensei became a student of O’Sensei
in 1946. Over the next 24 years he became one of the founder’s closest
students. Saito Sensei became famous for his prowess as a martial artist,
his clear, no-nonsense approach to Aikido and his seemingly endless mental
catalogue of techniques. Saito Sensei committed his life to the preservation
and dissemination of the teachings of the founder and his transmission
of the weapons taught to him by O’Sensei remain the de-facto standard.
Hitohira
SAITO Sensei
The only son and successor of Morihiro SAITO Sensei Hitohira Saito Sensei
grew up living and working in the dojo of the Founder. He began his daily
study of Aikido under O’Sensei and continued this under the tutelage
of his father.
In 2004 Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai was formed in order to pursue his father's task, and so preserve the founder's Aikido.
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