Aikido klub ''Donat'' Zadar
about aikido
Aikido is Japanese martial art founded in a middle of 20th century as compilation of several martial arts. Founder, i.e. person who brought together those arts to something new called aikido, is Morihei Ueshiba. Ueshiba contemplated about aikido under influence of Omoto-kyo.
Omoto-kyo or Oomoto, Sectarian Shinto sect and one of Japan’s 'New Religions', founded in 1882. by woman, Deguchi Nao. Numerous spiritual leaders were mostly women. However, Deguchi Onisaburo has been considerd as the most important figure, who married Nao’s fifth daughter Sumi. Omotokyo is partly neoshintoism and partly socio-political idealism.
The most important goal for Oomoto is to unife menkind and heaven on Earth. The harmony between nature, people and gods is the key point for Oomoto and Shinto. Rituals, arhitecture and clothing in Oomoto, are based on Shinto.
The difference between Oomoto and Shinto is a fact that Oomoto acknowledge existance of many kami, but they all come from the same Supreme God of the Universe, so in effect there is just one God. When Oomoto followers pray to a particular kami by name they understand this is just one manifestation of the single God.
Oomoto’s basic doctrine is: God pervedes the entire universe, and man is the focus of the workings of heaven and earth.
From the book ‘The Art of Peace’:
‘The art of Peace is the principle of nonresistance. Because it is nonresistant, it is victorious from the beginning.'
‘The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love and sincerity; the heart of martial art is true bravery, wisdom, love and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspect of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited’.
Some aikido ‘definitions’...
Morihei Ueshiba: ’Aikido is martial art of love and understanding.’
Koichi Tohei: ‘Aikido technics are the way of unification of body and mind, not just in theory, but through practice and experinece.’
Kenjiro Yoshigasaki: ‘Aikido is philosophy of life.’
Aikido (the way of harmony, the way of peace, the art of peace) with unification of body and mind is also called ki aikido. Aikido transformation fromf fight (Jutsu) to educational art based on ethic (Do) happens daily.
Aikido has its dynamic part...that involves throwing techniques; using a wooden knife, sword or stick ...and non-dynamic part...meditation and ki-breathing. Aikido, also, study and teach kenkodo - the way of health.
The easiest way to show what aikido is all about, is to see Kurosawa's film 'The Seven Samurai'. Remember...peasens engage Kambei Shimada, ronin, to defence a village from bandits. He is testing ability of 6 other samurai that he want to involve in village defence. Most people, when they think about their abilities and skil, want to accomplish something like this:
But what we want to accomplish in aikido is this:
