Aikido is a Japanese martial art for training body and mind through joint practice. Its name translates to the way (do) of unifying (ai) life energies (ki). Its origin lies in the ancient art of sword fencing by the Samurai knights. We practice Aikido in a dynamic, focused and respectful way.
In Aikido an attack is not blocked but redirected by flowing and seemingly effortless movements. This is achieved by entering and blending with the opposing action while remaining calm and centred. There are no competitions in Aikido, as it is not about winning or losing, but about personal growth, in contact with others.
After warming up including rolling and falling, we practise Aikido techniques together with a partner, alternately taking on the roles of the defender (tori) and the attacker (uke), while internalising the underlying principles of Aikido. We also exercise using wooden swords (bokken) and sticks (jo) for better incoporating the dynamics of Aikido.
In the beginning, wearing sports clothes with long pants is sufficient, or a white martial arts suit (keikogi) if available. Advanced Aikido practitioner (aikidoka) wear blue or black traditional pantskirts (hakama) and black belts (obi) instead of white ones.