The roots of Aikido are back to medieval Japan at the period 900. That time one close clan which was constituted by Takeda family and their close samurais, developed to a very high level techniques of unarmed battle, sword, archery, but also techniques to develop the mind and the abilities of their mind and they remained famous as the «Aizou samurai» and their art as «Aiki jutsu». From this art comes the Aikido. During his youth the founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), trained hard for many years on Japanese martial arts. He practiced Ju Jutsu, Judo, kendo, yari and especially at Aiki jutsu. «O - sensei», (the grate master) as he became knew later in Japan, incorporated all these techniques to one system which had as purpose the perfection of the body and the mind under a philosophical prism of a universal peaceful coexistence and named it AIKIDO.
Aikido is different from the other martial arts on two main things:
Firstly practice, develop and use the KI (the inner vital energy of every living creature), with particular breathing exercises and mind control in order the student to be able to execute difficult techniques to a very larger opponents, without using muscular power.
Secondly Aikido has a philosophical background and social targets, for harmonically and peacefully coexistence of people, in an atmosphere of mutual trust, respect and love.
The word AIKIDO in Japanese language is complicated and consisted of three syllables /characters. First the syllable AI means unification, harmony. The second syllable KI means soul, spirit and power of life. The third syllable DO means way and path. (This third syllable is at the end of the name of various martial arts, like Ju do, Karate do, Tae kwon do etc). All together the characters mean: «To develop your self harmonically on base of the vitality of your body and the peace of your mind» or «The way of harmony with the energy of the Universe» From the name we can understand that the Aikido is a method of self-defence not against the violence of the other people, but against the violence of our offensiveness and the disharmony of ourselves.
The element of the antagonism is not present in the teaching and the practice of Aikido, therefore we can’t define the «best». We can say that the best teacher is the one who achieved to make happier students in society.
AIKIDO includes a wide variety of techniques of unarmed battle, practice with boken (wooden sword), and Jo (wooden staff), breathing and concentrating exercises, develop of KI and Kiatsu (a healing technique based on the principles of acupuncture with the addition of Ki).
To practice in Aikido help the people to develop the well-being, the stamina and the vitality of his body, to decrease the stress and substitute it with mental power. Besides seeks for the harmonic cooperation of the mind and the body, in order to be able to solve their daily-life problems. The rich philosophical background helps to spread their abilities in order to succeed in their life.
AIKIDO is relatively new in Greece and its not known as well as it should be. The people do not know Aikido as well as to estimate and to respect it correspondingly. The absence of information is the main reason Aikido is not wide known in our country. Contrarily is one of the most known martial arts in the world.
AIKIDO considers as ultimate fight the fight for the day living.
Additionally believes that is wrong to take part at fighting for a medallion without objective value, or for a cup, which you can't use for drinking. In simply words Aikido believes that the real benefit for the people is to win in their life and not to win other people.
In Aikido everyone any sex or age can take part and practice. That is happening because in Aikido you don't need to be well natured to practice, but to have an inner perception of reality. In fact somebody could be from 4 to 104 years old, even people with special needs.
Like any other Japanese martial art, the rank is counting with KYU (degree), which are for (our association) seven. They begin from 7th to 1st. After begin the DAN rank.
Until the 1st DAN acquirement, Aikido considers somebody as apprentice student. After the 1st DAN acquirement it considers him as an apprentice teacher.
There are not fighting games in Aikido, therefore the student (aikidoka), can’t be consider as «Athlete», but as student of life. Qualifications are his instinctive love for Aikido, his patience and his expectation for the results of his training in the right time, his love and respect for his family and his friends, his love for the people and a deep whish all the people including him to live and develop harmonically.
Good school is the school that helps its student to achieve his targets and not the school that makes him to look for antagonisms and rewards that maybe were useful 50 years ago...
The idol for a student of Aikido is an happy third aged people, who is walking in a bloomy garden. He enjoy his life, takes a deep breath and he wants to play as then, when he was child...
Practice in Aikido is dangerous as a walk in a park.
Somebody start to practice Aikido waiting to earn knowledge in settled time. Finally he realizes that Aikido is a way of life. Then he wishes to be able to continue practicing and to evolutes himself during his life.
At that moment we think that is purposive to report a story about a student and a sword master. When a nominee student met a grate master of ken jutsu asked him how long he had to practice in order to be a good sword warrior. The master answered: if you practice 5 hours per day, you'll need 5 years.
And the student: if I practice 10 hours per day?
The master answered: Then you will need 10 years...
There are two kinds of people, those who have been defeated from life and they have abandoned in their daily life. To them Aikido wouldn't like to offer anything.
And those who have born warriors of life and they think to die as much.
For them it would be misfortune to not meet Aikido.
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