Is Martial Aikido an Oxymoron?

What’s the use of a martial art if you can’t apply it to protect yourself and your loved ones, right? Initially, the reason why people decide to learn martial arts is to develop self defence skills. The other thing is, when someone talks about self defence, it has most of the time been associated with the aspects of practical fighting such as hand to hand combats which most find quite effective on the streets.

There had been discussions as to how a martial art such as Aikido becomes effective when someone encounters a situation where he needs to defend himself. That’s something to think about indeed. An Aikido martial artist uses a lot of flowing and coordinated movements as seen on videos and aikido pics. Others think of it as the softer side of martial art which eventually causes them to doubt as to how it could be used when you’re being attacked on the streets. Why don’t we just take a quick look at Aikido’s history in order to understand why such a graceful martial art can also be a deadly defense skill when used properly?

Aikido’s main purpose is to promote life and understanding, not by defeating others. That is the opinion stated by O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Therefore as a martial art, it is not only known as a system of self defense but a profound spiritual training. A beginner in martial Aikido would most likely think of it as an unappealing practice if he simply wants to learn it as self defense because the integral part of Aikido is its spiritual training and philosophy and it would take years for an individual to learn these aspects. A person should be entirely decided or determined to practice this martial art as a whole.

Aikido is commonly known as “the way of harmony”. Ai, is harmony; ki is translated as “spiritual energy”; and do, is the way. Morihei Ueshiba taught his students that love and harmony are equal and embedded in the meaning of martial Aikido. The concept is maybe a bit lofty but it can turn into a reality through the improvement of real power and that is developing your ki, your inner strength.

Now if we set aside the spiritual aspect of Aikido, it is most often known to be an art that uses an opponent’s energy against himself. It has also been identified as “wrist-twisting” or “receiving conflict without opposition”. The major emphasis in Aikido training is to always be in control because atemi (striking) in Aikido has immense potential power and could cause serious injury to the internal organs. O’Sensei Ueshiba repeatedly taught that one blow can kill a man but the use of this uncontrolled power is not necessary and is unacceptable in practice. Aikido has all of the three main categories of martial arts in general though its expression is based through its own unique principle. The first category is focused on striking the enemy; the second one is the attempt to control him; the third, and the most complicated is the attempt to disrupt his balance and throw him down.

As an Aikido martial artist, you don’t necessarily have to be a tall person or someone with big and strong body built. A petite, slim, 60 year old grandmother can be a part of martial Aikido practice and can defend herself from a much larger assailant. As a person practicing this martial art for years, I had to admit that it would still take me many more years to really grasp the true essence of Aikido but I have proven from experience that a thin and frail woman can actually throw a 6 foot man. It has helped me learn about the real meaning of life, your own and your opponent’s, once you’ve faced a situation where you can’t do anything but defend yourself. O’Sensei’s teachings will always be a part of an Aikido martial artist’s life. You know you have the ability to kill a person with one blow but why do that when you can give your assailant a chance to change? For me, that’s the real essence of this martial art: preserving one’s life as well as the life of your opponent.