Ki Aikido | Ki Society Taigi List | Aikido Principles

Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido ©

Aikido is a non-violent, defense-oriented martial art in which the force of the attacker is redirected. The purpose of aikido on a practical level is to remove the aggression from a situation and render the attack harmless without causing serious injury. The word "ai-ki-do" in japanese kanji allows many layers of meaning from the esoteric "Way of Spiritual Harmony" to the mundane "Method of Energy Coordination". The standard Ki Society interpretation is "Way to Union with Ki". However, the name is simply a broad conceptual brush for what amounts to a fascinating personal journey in exploring the connection between the physical and mental worlds. Unifying with the Ki of the Universe can also be summed up as "be natural". Aikido is a discipline for unifying mind and body in daily life. From this act of harmony we are able to join with the present moment, acting spontaneously and creatively within any situation.

To achieve this unification, Ki-Aikido involves a systematic method called Shin Shin Toitsu Do (the Way of Mind and Body Coordination). This method provides the feedback necessary for students to understand intuitively about Ki.
The term Ki-Aikido is a compound label often used for the aikido style, Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, taught by the International Ki Society organization lead by Koichi Tohei. One does not have to do aikido to learn about ki and there are often seperately taught ki development classes at dojos within the organization. Thus, Ki-Aikido simply means a place where Ki development and Aikido are taught. A seperate ranking system exists to indicate the students development of his own ki and anyone interested in Ki development is welcome to inquire about training solely in Shin Shin Toitsu Do.