Traditional Japanese Sports: Aikido (1984)

This 15-minute film from NHK offers an overview of the Japanese martial art of Aikido, from its history to its basic principles and techniques. We learn about the founder, Morihei Ueshiba, seen in photographs, who came into contact with Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu in 1911 and developed Aikido to modify the practice and eliminate techniques that hurt the practitioners. He based it on the concept of matching an opponent's movements to use his actions against him and getting the students to move in harmony with their "ki" or life force. He opened a dojo in Tokyo in 1925 and then moved to the more remote village of Iwama in Ibaraki prefecture in 1941 so he could perfect the art and he wound up spending the rest of his life there. (He died in 1969 at the age of 86.) We see his son, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, who runs the dojo in Tokyo, and Morihei's disciple, Morihiro Saito, who took charge of the dojo in Iwama. We see some classes in action and a few demonstration matches. Interestingly, westerners are seen in every class.

[@martinleevenest1626]

If you have to use your eyes in aikido well then your not using aikido.

[@TheMoodyedge]

I dont see many blind people that are any good

[@masonictrucker8031]

@@TheMoodyedgeMaybe you are blind .