return strike; rather, the practitioner seeks to allow a committed attack to
pass by, and then to exploit the attacker’s resulting imbalance. Thus both
the initial attack and forceful opposition to such an attack are character-
ized as futile and maladjusted endeavors, out of harmony with the uni-
verse; an aikidô approach to conflict (physical or otherwise) begins with
searching for a way to “blend with” rather than oppose aggressive action.
From this point a physical application normally proceeds to projection or
control of the attacker, usually with an emphasis on preventing any (or at
least any serious) injury to the attacker. The curricula of many aikidô
schools lack or de-emphasize hand strikes, and most lack kicking tech-
niques, although defenses against both are practiced.
Manipulation of the kienergy of both the attacker and defender is
implied even in the art’s name, but interpretation of the nature of ki, and
its proper manipulation, vary. Aikidô is often classed among the “soft” or
“internal” martial arts, like the Chinese taijiquan(tai chi ch’uan), xingyi-
quan(hsing i ch’uan), and baguazhang(pa kua ch’uan ), and an emphasis
on breathing exercises and ki exercises (meant to improve a practitioner’s
control of his own energy) is common. Aikidô schools descending from
Tôhei Kôichi’s tradition even maintain separate ki rankings (related but not
identical to the student’s aikidô kyûor danrank, discussed below) based
on the student’s mastery of ki concepts and applications, including kiatsu,
a healing method practiced by Tôhei Kôichi. Interpretations of ki in aikidô
range from the mystical (complete with tales of miraculous feats by
Ueshiba Morihei) to the utilitarian and prosaic.
Uses of the bokken(a wooden representation of the Japanese sword)
and jô (a four-foot staff) are common auxiliary training methods in aikidô,
reflecting the elements of timing, distance, and initiative that aikidô and its
predecessor arts took from the armed disciplines of the samurai. In general,
the use of these weapons in aikidô training is undertaken for the illustra-
tion and practice of aikidô principles, rather than for the sake of combat-
oriented proficiency with the weapons themselves, although weapon-han-
dling methods taught in various aikidô schools are widely divergent.
Disarming and weapon-retention techniques are often included in this
practice and related to similar unarmed procedures in other arts.
The tantô,a wooden replica of a Japanese dagger, is also maintained
as a training tool, although unlike the other wooden weapons it is rarely
considered from the wielder’s perspective. Instead, the tantô is used exclu-
sively for the practice of disarming techniques. (An exception to this occurs
in Tomiki Aikidô dôjô, which engage in a competitive sport revolving
around tantô offense and defense. In their matches, a rubber tantô may be
used by the offensive player to score, while successful defense yields the de-
fender both points and the tantô.)
Aikidô 13