Aikido

Aikido (合気道) was developed by Ueshiba Morihei between the 1920s and 1940s, largely from Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu and his own spiritual outlook. The idea is to blend with an attacker's movement and redirect it into a throw or a pin rather than meet it with force. Most aikido styles have no competition at all; training is cooperative and partner-based.

Character

• Entering and turning (irimi, tenkan): Footwork that takes you off the line of attack.
• Techniques: Wrist and arm locks (nikyō, sankyō), throws (iriminage, kotegaeshi, shihōnage).
• Ukemi: Falling and rolling safely is half of the training.
• Weapons: Wooden sword (bokken) and staff (jō) inform the empty-hand movements.

Who is it for?

Anyone drawn to movement, body mechanics and a non-competitive path. Aikido is gentle on beginners but demands years to make the techniques work against resistance. Expect a gi and, later, a hakama.