The Gentle Art

With popular shows such as Cobra Kai, action movies like John Wick, and sports like the UFC, the traditionalism within martial arts has been lost. When the public thinks of Martial Arts, their minds (and understandably so) go to images of brutal fights and battles between protagonists and antagonists. However, many [Martial Arts] began as methods to win internal battles more than physical ones. One such ‘soft’ art is Aikido.

Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba, said in the winter of 1957 “The Creator has given you a heart like a sword, solely for the purpose of destroying the aggression in the heart of your adversary who is your brother, not to harm him: Extend your heart, rather than your Sword!”

Aikido is often mistaken as an art of throwing (nage) and falling/rolling (ukemi), and although is contains such techniques, the ultimate purpose is not to go into a fight to throw your opponent… it’s to throw off their aggression. Martial Arts are not to be taken for just the physical application; the true value in Martial Arts is in the mental and spiritual application. A good teacher will be sure to know the difference and have the wisdom to separate the two while teaching.

Aikido, like any Martial Art, can be beneficial to anyone, and anyone can learn Aikido. To get started, you’ll want to have two essential things (both of which can be found in our store): a hakama (formal pants) and a heavy-weight gi (uniform). These make up the traditional Aikido uniform. All schools will at least require the heavy-weight gi (can also be considered a Judo gi), and 9/10 will require the hakama (black).