What is Aikido?
Aikido is a non-violent martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba in the 20th century. Ueshiba Sensei saw aikido as a philosophy that uses martial art techniques to learn the principles underlying the philosophy. He believed that building physical strength and technique for fighting is ultimately futile. The true purpose of aikido is to develop the individual. With training, the natural response to a conflict becomes compassion rather than aggression.
"The martial art is simply a physical expression of the way we want to live our lives, i.e. we are positive, we do not seek to damage those we work with, in fact, quite the opposite. We learn that if we can deal with the physical stress of being attacked on the mat then we are more than capable of dealing with the problems that everyday living throws at us."
- Quentin Cooke 7th Dan.
Aikido is unique amongst the martial arts in that there are no competitions, no matches, no sparring.
Aikido helps children to learn to deal with a difficult situation without fighting. This process builds good social and communication skills. The training develops self-confidence and a positive self-image. This can result in improved academic achievement by developing better focus and the ability to cooperate and follow instructions.