A pseudo knife is drawn, the crowd retreats and two players face each other. A sudden cry of hajime (start !) breaks the silence. A formal bow, a flurry of action and after about three minutes both players are spent and sweating.
This is sport Aikido, the ancient art of self-defense which is gaining popularity around the world as a competitive sport.
Superficially, Aikido resembles Judo and Karate the uniform, the dojo (practice hall), and the systems of grading, as well as certain fundamentals such as balance, movement, and relaxation, are similar. But, in fact, Aikido is quite different, and should not be confused with either. Aikido derives its techniques from budo, which is a combination of many martial arts.
Aikido - a martial way, is centered around control of yourself and your opponent through blended movements and manipulations of physical balance and martial techniques applied to the limbs (wrist, elbow, etc).
Aikido was developed in the last century as an art of self-defense and spiritual training. Unlike some martial arts Aikido requires no particular advantage in age, size, strength, or speed in order to perform well.
Training involves using throws and control techniques with pressure points and joint locking. Physical strength is not required as the power for a throw comes from the momentum of the attack. This makes Aikido ideal for men, women, and children. (From 7 years upwards)
Regular training in Aikido will develop discipline for the body and the mind. While fitness, agility, co-ordination and confidence will also develop.
The origins of Aikido stem from the same Japanese methods of sword fighting and unarmed combat of the 12th and 13th centuries as do Kendo and Judo.
Modern Aikido was brought to its peak by the late Professor Morihei Ueshiba who taught that being passive is the best defence and that it is necessary to blend with an opponent, entering his/her aggressi
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