aikido

[ ahy-kee-doh; Japanese ahy-kee-daw ]

noun

1. a Japanese form of self-defense utilizing wrist, joint, and elbow grips to immobilize or throw one's opponent.

aikido

/ ˈaɪkɪdəʊ /

noun

1. a Japanese system of self-defence employing similar principles to judo, but including blows from the hands and feet

Word History and Origins

Origin of aikido¹

1960–65; < Japanese aikidō, equivalent to ai to coordinate + ki breath control + dō way (< Middle Chinese; judo )

Word History and Origins

Origin of aikido¹

from Japanese, from ai to join, receive + ki spirit, force + do way

Example Sentences

He meditated daily, and learned the Japanese martial art Aikido when he was in his 50s, according to a 2011 profile in The Washington Post.

From New York Times

At 6ft 2in and a practitioner of kick-boxing and aikido, Rennie was an imposing figure who players soon learned would be more than comfortable standing his ground during an exchange.

From BBC

“That’s a deep-water pool, a cool refuge for the migrating salmon,” says Rev. Lawrence Koichi Barrish, the 73-year-old Shinto priest and longtime aikido instructor who — with the blessing of his teachers in Japan — began building the first iteration of this shrine in 1990.

From Seattle Times

Shortly after Barrish’s return to the U.S., he had just gotten home from teaching an aikido class in Everett when the phone rang.

From Seattle Times

Eventually, Barrish became an international aikido instructor and ardent Shinto student, making several trips to Japan each year for intensive study with the priests at Tsubaki Grand Shrine in Mie.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling