Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba in the 1920's.  Morihei Ueshiba is often referred to by his title "O Sensei" or "Great Teacher".  One English translation or aikido is "The Way of Harmony of the Spirit".  Great weight is placed on developing harmony and peace.  Aikido makes extensive use of the concept of ki.  Aikido is one of the more spiritual  martial arts.
This martial art also places a great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement.  It does not focus on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using your own energy to gain control of your opponents or throw them away from you.  Aikido has been referred to as "moving zen".

The Aikido FAQ  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/aikido.html)
An introduction to aikido and an explanation of the principles of aikido.

The Basic Aikido FAQ  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/b_index.html)
Answers many questions about aikido training such as how can I practice by myself?

The Aikido Dojo Guide  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/guide)
A guide to many aikido dojos around the world.

Training Aikido  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/b_section04.html)
An explanation of how aikido training is conducted.

O Sensei's rules for training Aikido  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/n_section23.html)

Aikido Journal  (http://www-cse.ucsd.edu/users/paloma/Aikido/AJ)
An online magazine of aikido and the Japanese martial arts.

The concept of Ki in Aikido  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/a_section15.html)

Principles of Aikido  (http://www.ii.uib.no/~kjartan/aikidofaq/b_section02.html)
A discussion of some of the basic techniques of aikido such as irimi.
 

Return to class readings page:  Kinesiology 493: Philosophy of Kinesiology