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aikido

a Japanese martial art that uses an opponent's own force against them

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Where does the word "aikido" come from? It comes from Japanese ai + ki + do, and was adopted directly into English (1950s-1960s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "aikido" come from? It comes from Japanese ai + ki + do, and was adopted directly into English (1950s-1960s).

Aikido’s story begins in Japanese: ai + ki + do meant “the way of harmonious spirit.” Combining "ai" (harmony), "ki" (spirit), and "do" (way). It reached English by 1950s-1960s as aikido. Morihei Ueshiba's art reached the West after World War II through students teaching in France and the US. Today, aikido means a Japanese martial art that uses an opponent's own force against them.

  1. Stage 1 · Japanese · 1920s ai + ki + do "the way of harmonious spirit", combining "ai" (harmony), "ki" (spirit), and "do" (way).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1950s-1960s aikido "a martial art focused on redirecting an opponent's force", Morihei Ueshiba's art reached the West after World War II through students teaching in France and the US.

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