Aikido modern Japanese martial art.

Meaning of Aikido
Aikido translated into English means "the way of harmony" The name aikido is formed of three Japanese characters

Aikido (Japanese Name: Kanji Hiragana) is a modern Japanese martial art, developed by Morihei Ueshiba between the 1920s and the 1960s.
Morihei Ueshiba often referred to by his title 'O Sensei' or 'Great Teacher', was born in 1883 and died in 1969.

Even though aikido is a fairly new system in the world of martial arts, it has a rich cultural and philosophical background.

Before creating aikido Morihei Ueshiba trained in different styles of jujitsu, as well as sword fighting. Aikido was born out of three Enlightenment experiences of Ueshiba. In each of these, he received a divine inspiration that led away from the violent nature of his previous martial training, and towards a "spirit of peace". Ueshiba ultimately said that the way of the warrior is the "way of divine love that nurtures and protects all things."

Aikido is partly characterized by its emphasis on the spiritual and philosophical development of its students. This is a direct result of Morihei Ueshiba's involvement and belief in Buddhism and Shinto ( a Japanese religion in which people worship past members of their family and various gods that represent nature. )

O Sensei emphasized the moral and spiritual aspects of this art, placing great weight on the development of harmony and peace. The more a student advances in Aikido, the more he develops the principle of saving his own life as well as the life of his opponent.

Aikido focuses not on punching or kicking the enemy, but on using the foe’s own energy to gain control or to throw them away from you. Aikido puts great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement. Aikido can be a very effective form of self-defense. However, it can take considerable time and effort before Aikido (or any martial art) can be used effectively in a self-defense situation.

Aikido was originally developed by one man, Morihei Ueshiba . Many students who trained under Ueshiba decided to spread their knowledge of Aikido by opening their own dojos, different students of O Sensei interpreted his Aikido in different ways. Thus different styles of Aikido were born.