Lucia, and Jamaica. What is Aikido
Aikido is a martial art that focuses on learning to achieve victory through harmony (Ai) and the use of universal energy (Ki). It is a pure martial art
with no sport aspect since it has no rules. Aikido has no rules because you must remain flexible in order to achieve harmony. It requires the
understanding of how to use gentleness and the flow of Ki to achieve your ends rather than trying to force things through the use of muscle power. Aikido differs from other martial arts in that it tries to get people to learn the techniques of martial arts (Budo), by teaching the principles. In most
other martial arts, you try to learn the principles through the techniques. Thus, Aikido is often seen as a Budo that appeals to thinkers and those
with an advanced degree in another martial art. Most of the techniques of Aikido are seen in other martial arts. They include throws, joint locks, joint manipulations, chokes, strikes, pressure
points, and pinning techniques. However, you will find that the techniques are done from the perspective of trying to practice a Budo principle. In
Aikido, you try and perfect your understanding and application of the Budo principle by using them in many different techniques. One of the key principles is that the most efficient use of force is achieved by being relaxed. That means it is important to be gentle in applications
to be more effective. Thus, women and children find Aikido a very friendly Budo in that it generally requires less muscle power than the other martial
arts to be effective from early on. The effectiveness of Aikido as a defensive tactic can be seen in that most modern police forces now train all their new recruits using some system
derived from Aikido. Because of it flexibility in use and focus on control of the attacker, Aikido techniques can be applied in a full range from gentle
persuasion to lethality. There is no need to beat the attacker into submission if you can put them into a painful submission or control position
immediately.
