YOSHINKAN AIKIDO MALAYSIA

HISTORY of AIKIDO

HISTORY of YOSHINKAN AIKIDO

what is aikido?
Aikido was founded by Ueshiba Morihei in the early twentieth century and has now grown to be one of the world's most popular martial arts.
And it is first and foremost a martial art. At its most basic level aikido is a system of throwing, joint-locking, striking and pinning techniques, coupled with training in the use of sword, staff and knife techniques.

But as a form of budo (martial ways), aikido offers more than just a fighting art. It is the path of personal discovery and character improvement.
Some of its benefits include physical fitness, improved self-confidence and a greater awareness of yourself and your boundaries as well as those people around you.
The most fundamental concept of aikido is that of "harmonizing" with an opponent. In practical terms, an exponent of aikido will use the force of an attack against their aggressor to apply a lock, throw or pin.

When pulled, the aikidoka (practitioner of aikido) moves forward in the direction of the attack (irimi). When pushed, the aikidoka pivots out of the way (tenkan). In this way, aikido enables one to redirect the force of the attack until it is no longer a threat. In this weakened position, the attacker then becomes vulnerable to various forms of throws or controls (ways of directing an attacker to a final pin).
 

principles and methods
Underlying this theoretical basis is a number of principles and methods, all integral to cultivating a greater understanding of the art of aikido itself.

Roles of "uke" and "shite" In traditional aikido training, shite ("shee-TAY") and uke ("oo-KAY") are training partners, not opponents. As a "pair", both will work with each other, fostering an atmosphere suited to the application and research of often dangerous locks and throws. Such a high level of cooperation helps you to re-conceptualise an attack from a hostile and destructive force to a positive facilitator of your aikido technique.

Focused power Aikido also employs the concept of shuchu-ryoku or focused power. This is the ability to focus your power into one point. The combined power generated by focusing the energy of the hips, legs, knees, abdomen, and so on, towards one aim is greater than the power of muscles alone. It is the aikidoka's ability to generate such power that enables a smaller and comparatively weaker person to apply techniques on a larger and stronger opponent.

Breath power Breath power or kokyu-ryoku is when sensitivity, breathing and rhythm are brought together to allow the aikidoka to read and direct uke's movement. It is not necessary to do any special training in order to develop breath power; you will develop it through consistent training.

Ki This word captures a very complex concept and many interpretations of "ki" have been offered. For the Yoshinkan aikidoka, ki can be thought of as the combination of correct posture, centre line, breathing, the explosive power of focused energy and timing. It has been said that ki is therefore the "mastery of balance" of all these factors.