"Aikido is nothing but an expression of the spirit of love for all living things."
Morihei Ueshiba
Founder of Aikido
Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, is commonly referred to as O- Sensei, meaning great teacher.
Akira Tohei Sensei
August 20, 1929 - July 2, 1999
Alamo Area Aikikai's present-day aikido is founded in the tradition of the master teacher, the late Akira Tohei Shihan.
What is Aikido?
The name Aikido is composed of three Japanese words: ai, meaning harmony; ki, spirit or energy; and do, the path, the system, or the way. Aikido is the way of the spirit of harmony.
Aikido is not a sport, yet it is definitely a martial art. There are no competitive tournaments. The aikido deshi views practice as a partnership, with attacker and defender constantly switching roles and helping polish one another. Because of this, students are soon able to practice safely at full force and still maintain a positive relationship with their partners. Aikidoka are able to get a feel for real-time combat and awareness of surroundings while cultivating mental clarity and calm in the midst of neutralizing or redirecting attacks.
Ai
(Harmony)
Ki
(Spirit/Energy)
Do
(Way/Path)