Aikido as a Form of Self-Defence

Aikido is a traditional martial art with as many as 10,000 self-defence techniques. The principles of Aikido have been formulated, and the most important of them says that it cannot be a form of sports competition. Aikido is practiced in Japan on a massive scale, and people also enroll in numerous trainings in Europe, North and South America. Aikido is about avoiding and defending against attack, not attacking. The fight is based on using the strength of a competitor against him - the more complex the defense technique, the less effort is required to repel the attack. Aikido is also a moral code, which requires taking responsibility for the health and good mental condition of people who train and fight together.

The history of Aikido goes back many years, and the Japanese Morihei Ueshiba is considered its creator. As a child he was ill, so his father encouraged him to train. Ueshiba practiced ju-jitsu according to the tradition of Tenshin Shin'yo-Ryu and Shinkage-Ryu fencing, whose elements he later used in aikido. Aikido came to Poland in 1975 and it is worth remembering that Aikido is not only about techniques, but also the state of mind.

Elements in Aikito

The name of this martial art consists of three elements:

• ai - harmony
• ki - energy
• to - the road.

The main goal of Aikido is self-improvement and not focusing on fighting - that's why this discipline is not connected with sports competition. The theory of the "spinning ball" occupies a very important place in Aikido. According to it, the world is filled with energy similar to a flowing stream, and not concentrated in a point by hitting it or opposing it by means of a block of flats.

Aikido uses as many as 10 thousand variants of various defense techniques against the attacker. According to Aikido, the person carrying out the attack has a problem, but this does not mean that the person who repulses the attack is supposed to resemble him/her and attack him/her as well. The main goal is self-defense, even against a stronger opponent or several opponents. That is why Aikido is a martial art for all: women, men and children, without an upper age limit. There are special Aikido classes for women practicing them in the art of self-defence. Aikido trainings teach how to descend from the attack line and how to use throws, hits and levers on specific parts of the body. During martial arts exercises, people also learn how to use a knife, stick and sword.

Techniques Used in Aikido

The basic techniques used in aikido are:

Nikyo

Its an immobilizing technique consisting of bending the wrist and tilting it towards the attacker's head at an angle close to a right angle between the forearm, arm and wrist.

Ikkyo

It is lever technique which can be performed as a hold or throw. It is based on pressing the attacker's arm backwards, just above the elbow, in a specific soft spot that the defending person can first recognize at home. The pressure is exerted by the weight of the whole body.

Gokyo

It is used to defend against attacks with a knife or baton. It resembles the ikkyo technique, but there is a difference in the grip of the opponent's hand - we grab him so that we can control the weapon held in his hand.

Sankyo

It means unnatural twisting of the wrist with the lever. The hand is twisted not only in the wrist joint, but also in the elbow joint and forearm tendons. The lever is the starting position for the end of the technique by means of a projection.

Hiji Kime

It is the technique of bending the elbow joint in the direction opposite to that natural for the joint. The attacker's hand should be straight and the attacker's hand should be held firmly by the person repulsing the attack. The defending himself acts on the opponent with all the weight of his body.

Yonkyo

One of the most painful techniques. The attacked person strongly presses the nerve centers on the attacker's forearm using primarily the small finger and the forefinger cap. Appropriate pressure effectively overpowers the opponent.

Irimi Nage

It consists first of making a movement that will allow you to avoid a collision with your opponent, and then directing the attacker around his own body and pressing his head to his shoulder. When the attacker moves around our axis, the attacker is smoothly brought down.

The allocation of lanes and grades in aikido varies from school to school. However, there is a division into grades. International Aikido Federation recognizes that there are 6 degrees kyu, and each of them is usually invariably associated with the white color of the belt, after reaching the first master's degree a black belt is obtained. Special belts with colourful pagons for children have been introduced - degrees for the youngest can be from a few to even a dozen or so. As in other martial arts, in order to achieve the next level of advancement, you have to pass an exam.

People practicing Aikido practice in a specially designed outfit This garment in white. Particular attention is paid to the wide - black or navy blue - trousers worn by some practitioners. They are worn not without reason - they are supposed to mask leg movements so as to make it difficult for the opponent to predict their next actions. Traditionally, they can be worn by people who have attained the master's degree in dan.

Aikido develops the general physical fitness of the youngest. It teaches commitment and consistency in the pursuit of goal, discipline and concentration. Aikido also helps to correct posture defects, as techniques and exercises affect both sides of the body. Classes for children run differently from those for adults - during aikido trainings for the latter silence and high discipline is required, and exercises for the youngest run in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

Aikido trainings are not focused on competition, there are no competitions related to this fight, and yet exercises of this type give measurable results. First of all, they improve our motor coordination - after all, aikido relies on effective and fast movements, which will avoid attack and overpower the opponent. Training also strengthens the condition and teaches how to properly control breathing.

Aikido also has an effective effect on the psyche. People training them feel more confident and safer - they know that they will be able to defend themselves in case of attack not only on the mat. This martial art is not based on competing with each other, so you train mainly in order to improve your skills and not to gain further distinctions.