Non-violent Japanese martial art (Aikidō = "the path to the harmonisation of forces")
Aikidō (Kanji: 合気道) is a modern Japanese martial art that was originally developed by Morihei Ueshiba, as a synthesis of his martial studies and philosophy. Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attackers from injury. Aikidō is often translated as "the way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the way of harmonious spirit". According to the founder's philosophy, the primary goal in the practice of aikidō is to overcome oneself instead of cultivating violence or aggressiveness.
Aikidō derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s. Ueshiba's early students' documents bear the term aiki-jūjutsu. Ueshiba's senior students have different approaches to aikidō, depending partly on when they studied with him. Today, aikidō is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques formulated by Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker. (Wikipedia)
