Created in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba, who is also known as O’Sensei, (1883-1969). Aikido’s foundation is rooted in several varieties of jujutsu, as well as sword, staff and spear fighting. O’Sensei developed an ideology devoted to peace and harmony, incorporating these principles into this fairly modern martial art. Almost all present day styles of Aikido identify at least two common ideals:
A commitment to peaceful resolution of conflict whenever possible.
A commitment to self-improvement through Aikido training.
Oversimplifying somewhat, Aikido takes the joint locks and throws from jujutsu and combines them with the body movements of sword and spear fighting.
Aikido has no tournaments, competitions, contests, or "sparring." Instead, all Aikido techniques are learned cooperatively at a pace consistent with the abilities of each trainee.
There are no shortcuts to proficiency in Aikido. Attaining proficiency in Aikido is simply a matter of sustained and dedicated training. No one becomes an expert in just a few months or years.