| The name aikido is formed of three Japanese | | | | those for the yari (spear), jo (a short |
| characters, normally romanised as ai, ki and do. | | | | quarterstaff), and perhaps also juken (bayonet). |
| They are frequently translated as meaning union, | | | | But perhaps the most powerful influence is that |
| universal energy and way, so aikido may be | | | | of the katana (sword). In lots of ways, an aikido |
| translated as "the way to union with universal | | | | practitioner moves as an empty handed |
| energy". An additional common interpretation of | | | | swordsman. The aikido strikes shomenuchi and |
| the characters is harmony, spirit and way, so | | | | yokomenuchi come from weapon attacks, and |
| aikido can also mean "the way of spiritual | | | | resulting techniques likewise from weapon |
| harmony". Both interpretations draw awareness | | | | take-aways. Several schools of aikido do |
| to the fact that aikido's methods are designed to | | | | absolutely no weapons instruction whatsoever; |
| control an attacker by controlling and redirecting | | | | others, such as Iwama Ryu usually invest |
| his or her energy rather than blocking it. An | | | | substantial time with bokken (wooden sword), jo, |
| analogy is frequently made of the way in which a | | | | and tanto (knife). In a few lines of aikido, all |
| flexible willow bends with the storm whereas the | | | | techniques can be performed with a sword as |
| stout oak may break when the wind blows too | | | | well as unarmed. |
| hard. (The Korean martial art frequently known as | | | | Aikido was brought to the West in 1951 to France |
| hapkido uses the exact same three characters: a | | | | by Minoru Mochizuki. It was introduced to the USA |
| few propose a historical link through Daito-ryu, the | | | | in 1953, the UK in 1955, to Australia in 1965 and |
| main foundation of aikido). | | | | to many other countries. Today there are many |
| Morihei Ueshiba formulated aikido mostly from | | | | aikido dojos available to train at throughout the |
| Daito-ryu aikijutsu, integrating training moves like | | | | world. |