What is Aikido? Aikido is a discipline developed in Japan by O-Sensei ("Great Teacher") Morihei Ueshiba, which aims to develop and harmonize all the powers of the body and mind through martial arts practice. What is practice like? Most basic Aikido techniques are either joint locks or throws. They are practised in a smooth and fluid way. An important part of beginners' practice is learning to "follow" techniques and fall safely from any position. Learning to relax, to follow the techniques as your partner performs them and to fall safely from any position are important parts of beginning Aikido. Unlike Judo or Karate, there is no competition.

Aikido does not rely on physical size or strength and it is not important at what level of ability a student begins. A person's natural reaction to the extreme stress of an attack is to tense both mentally and physically. Such tension puts the victim of an attack off balance and makes it difficult to respond effectively. One of the central goals of our Aikido training is to learn to lower and relax the body and free the mind from fear during an attack.