And you want me to go without /Well it's/Too late

[MichelleLT]

Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). Aikido is often translated as "the Way of harmonious spirit", or "the Way of love" (but not romantic love, the kanji Ai has a much broader meaning). Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.

Aikido is about blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. The nage (thrower) leads the uke's (attacker's) momentum using stepping and turning movements. The techniques are completed with various throws or joint locks. Aikido can be categorized under the general umbrella of grappling arts and is normally considered a "soft" marital art.

We also learn the basics of using weapons such as the staff and sword, and how to defend against them.

My dojo. The Wikipedia article is also pretty good. My dojo is not associated with any of the specific schools that have split off, but rather with a 10th Dan in Japan who was one of the founder's students.