Morihei Ueshiba founded the Japanese martial art Aikido. In Aikido he integrates his religious studies, philosophy and of course martial studies into one complete discipline. Aikido self-defense is all about guarding yourself while keeping the attacker from being injured.

Cooperating with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack instead of blocking or opposing it is performing aikido self-defense. This process is requires only minimal strength because the defender uses the attacker’s momentum in entering and turning movements. The techniques employ a lot of joint locks and various throws. Aikido self defense refers to the martial arts principle or tactic of blending with an attacker’s movement for the purpose of controlling their actions with minimal effort.

The religious influences of Aikido self-defense define its philosophy. To be able to achieve Utopia in one’s life, one must show love and kindness even to those who wants to harm others. Aikido applies this principle in its self-defense practice of receiving an attack and changing its course without hurting the aggressor.

It is a preferred outcome as both the receiver and assailant are left unhurt.

If you want to learn aikido self-defense, you must understand that it is quite the same with other self-defense disciplines; it involves commitment to both physical and mental aspects. The preliminary step is to master how to safely fall and roll as many of the aikido moves are composed of throws. The particular techniques for offense are grappling and striking while for defense, it is pins and throws. For conditioning purposes, aikido concentrates on relaxation, flexibility and endurance with less emphasis on strength. This is in line with aikido’s focus on pushing or extending rather than contracting and blocking.

The mental dimension of Aikido self-defense is also has a lot of similarities with other self-defense philosophies.

Staying calm under pressure is a significant aspect in aikido. Aikido states that the mind and body should be relaxed when confronted into dangerous situations. It is vital for an aikido practitioner to carry out the self-defense techniques with confidence and accurate directness.

Aikido’s philosophy includes not only self-defense but also a way of life that selflessly believes that one shouldn’t only protect oneself from harm but also the assailant as well.