History of...

Aikido means the way of harmony, and was founded by Morihei Ueshiba. As a child he was so ill with scarlet fever that he was severely debilitated. In an effort to regain his strength Ueshiba began training in the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu style of Jujitsu. Within a few months his ability and strength increased tremendously so that at the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war a few years later he was conscripted into the army. During this period Ueshiba saw many different martial arts, and began studying combat methods in earnest. When the war ended he returned to Jujitsu and was made a master instructor.

Ueshiba went on to learn other styles o Jujitsu but became increasingly dissatisfied with the then-current militaristic styles. When, in 1920, his father died he was so distressed that he sought spiritual guidance from a priest of the Omoto Shinto sect, named Deguchi. With Deguchi’s aid Ueshiba meditated, and had a vision of enlightenment in which he floated, bathed in a golden vapor. Others have interpreted this experience as a satori, or enlightenment, which is usually achieved after meditation. Ueshiba interpreted his vision as meaning that the fundamental principal of the martial arts in universal love, and not combat. At this moment in his vision Ueshiba had looked into the universal flow, and his mind and the universe were one. He saw that the true martial arts were not about brute force but harmony and ki (Ki is an intrinsic energy, known in China as chi. It is the ki in he martial art aikido.) This great revelation dramatically changed Ueshiba’s view of the martial arts, and was the informing spirit behind aikido.

Ueshiba’s newly formulated fighting principle of harmony and gentleness was put into practice when he opened his first dojo in Tokyo in 1927. He taught his students that being passive is the correct defense and that it is to necessary to blend with an opponent, entering this aggressive energy before turning against him. So, if an opponent is going to pull, do not pull against him but with him. Whereas in Jujitsu and Judo the defender waits for an attack to come to him, aikido involves not being there at all at the moment of attack. Since Ueshiba is a pacifist there are no strikes in aikido. And unlike the other martial arts there is a relaxed atmosphere. The emphasis is on peace and harmony, which reigns supreme above all else.

But to find the very essence of the art, one must look far deeper than just applied techniques. The one word that keeps recurring is ki and without an understanding of it aikido would be reduced to a series of locks and holds and nothing else. Ki is the source of energy that allows practitioners to perform the impossible, to defy the natural laws of science and to execute tremendous physical feats. It is a kind of super power that knows no bounds, a universal life force inside each of us that is just waiting to be released. One method of doing so involves concentration and special breathing techniques.

Demonstrations of this awesome power have been witnessed on many occasions by the media. Ueshiba’s top student, a man named Kiochi Tohei, had arrows fired at him from a distance of less than 20 feet. He warded them off as if he was swatting flies. Not one arrow even touched him. On another occasion the master himself, then 85 years old, allowed six black belts to attack him. When they did he summed up his ki energy and tossed them about the dojo as if they were rag dolls. Other such feats involved Ueshiba inviting several black belts from other martial arts to see if they could push him over. The old master centered his ki energy through his stance to become immovable. Try as they would the black belts failed in their attempt to overcome this old man, just 5 feet tall and weighing less than 125lbs. Feats like this defy explanation, but they happen time and time again in aikido.

The working principle of ki is that it moves in circles, which are not limited but expand to infinity. But the aki-ist (one who practices aikido) is forbidden to use a linear approach because, although it can generate a tremendous force, it is self-destroying when used against circular motion. Understanding the philosophy of life is an important factor in the study of Aikido. The art teaches adepts to master the mind, develop the character and cultivate the art of living harmoniously.

All ancient Japanese traditions suffered a traumatic shock when the Emperor of Japan surrendered at the end of World War II. The new American administration of Japan considered that the martial arts encouraged militaristic behavior and banned their practice. Instead, the Japanese were encouraged to take up American sports such as baseball, which caused a widespread cultural revolution. Many of the younger Japanese were no longer content to accept that the most vital ingredients of the martial arts, which were philosophy and religion, and many of the old forms (including aikido) were turned into sport. After 1949 aikido divided into two main schools. One followed Ueshiba’s method, the other incorporated fighting contests. This is called Tomiki sport aikido, after the master who developed it.

SOURCE: MARTIAL ARTS BY PETER LEWIS P.125 - P.127

ISBN 0-8317-5809-0

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