Aikido, a traditional Japanese martial art, was developed in the early part of this century by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). He was also known as O-Sensei which means respectable teacher.

His Philosophy said that “There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing.”
– O-Sensei

My understanding about Aikido is that it emphasizes on using the opponents energy & force to your advantage rather than using your own strength. Hence it is highly recommended for girls wherein they use the attackers energy to defeat them. Judo also works on similar principles. I had an unbelievable experience while learning Aikido in Japan. You will read it in my upcoming book.

Both Aikido and Judo were developed around the same time. They both originate from old-style Ju Jitsu. There are two principle differences between Aikido and Judo. First, Judo is a sport and it has tournaments and medals. There are many rules that govern matches and certain moves are not allowed. Whereas Aikido is non-competitive and is practiced for self-improvement and effective self-defense. Secondly, Judo practice involves one attacker – one defender and the attacks are from the front. In Aikido we conceive that there may be more than one attacker and that attacks can come from any direction.

Aikido is the art of taking another person’s attack and neutralizing its effectiveness by redirecting it in a peaceful and nonviolent way. Aikido was born out of a combination of Morihei Ueshiba’s mastery of different martial arts and his philosophical views. Aikido allows a person to deal with an attack or issue while considering the safety of the attacker. The goal of Aikido is a nonviolent end to a confrontation.