The dilemma at the heart of aikido

There is a mixed message at the heart of aikido practice. On the one hand the founder Morehei Ueshiba promoted it as a path of peace and reconciliation and a means of self-development (“true victory is victory over oneself”). On the other hand it is rooted in budo “the art of war” and he was reluctant to demonstrate “true” aikido to the Emperor of Japan for fear of killing or injuring his demonstration partner. He also said that one should practice as though one’s life depended on it.

At one time his dojo was nicknamed “hell dojo” for the rigorous training undertaken there. As far as I am aware he did not reprimand various high level teachers of aikido such as sadateru arikawa or kazuo chiba who were well known and somewhat feared for their apparently aggressive technique.

His son kisshomaru ueshiba was largely responsible for popularising aikido and may have been responsible for toning down the rigour of training and removing the weapons element. It is said that O sensei remarked on a visit that he didn’t know what they were doing but it wasn’t his aikido.

It seems to me that many people practice aikido these days as a pastime which they can practice once a week or less. Many of the people attracted to aikido like its non-aggressive nature, its focus on harmony and its easy-going training regime (with the exception of some schools/instructors). It is promoted as a non-aggressive martial art suitable for all. It thus attracts people who tend to be non-physical. It is no surprise then that aikido is now largely regarded as ineffective as a martial art despite its strong roots in budo.

The mixed messaging about aikido, deriving partly from aikido’s development post war through the founder’s descendants and O sensei’s own religious and spiritual focus on peace and harmony particularly in his later life, has left the art in crisis.

O sensei said that budo is the root of aikido and Chiba sensei noted that this budo element must be maintained for aikido to retain its essence. The martial element of aikido is often forgotten in the many styles that have proliferated over the years. As Chiba says there is nothing wrong in people deciding to practice aikido for calisthenics, physical and mental health, or as a form of meditation in movement. But this is not the essence of aikido and those folk practicing in this way will not be able to use aikido as self-defence although they may develop the dangerous false impression that they can.

The budo root of aikido demands rigorous training, discipline and commitment in order to internalise and make intuitive the key principles that contribute to effective self defence.

See our other blog on the principles of effective self defence.