More than 900 years ago the samurai warriors of Japan utilized a powerful unarmed combat system in the field of battle when their primary weapon was lost or became ineffective. Over the centuries, this system was handed down from generation to generation and had become known as aikijujutsu. In the 1800’s, a man named Sokaku Takeda inherited this system and taught all over Japan. His lineage could be traced back to the origins of aikijujutsu. During the late 1800’s a man named Ueshiba became a student of Takeda eventually earning his teaching papers in the system. Ueshiba spent many years teaching and mastering his technique eventually realizing that the brutality found in the techniques was no longer practical in modern times. This realization combined with his devotion to spiritual pursuits, and his endless training in kenjutsu and other arts, allowed Ueshiba to modify the techniques of this system to be effective and powerful without being deadly. The new martial art that Ueshiba founded was later named Aikido…the way of harmonizing energy and is the primary martial art taught to police and security people around the world today.
If you are looking to learn techniques for seriously injuring another person, “self-defense” or not, then Aikido is not for you. Aikido is the art of peace; a successful encounter is one where you are able to prevent any violence at all. When diplomacy fails, however, Aikido allows you to be in the proper state of mind to disarm an opponent both physically and mentally. The techniques you learn will allow you to flow with the movements of your opponent, redirecting their attacks and using their energy as your own. This special form of self-defense allows you to protect yourself without causing serious harm to your opponent, something that is not commonly considered. Many “modern” self defense systems claim to be “street proven” and “combat ready” but with over 900 years of refinement on the battlefield, is there really anything more “street proven” than aikido?
A serious concern that is not often addressed with self-defense is the legality of an encounter. If you are attacked and you end up seriously injuring your attacker, even in self-defense, you are still in serious danger of being prosecuted. The jury in a court room was not present when you were attacked and there is no guarantee that they will believe your story, particuarly if there is a lack of evidence to support your claim (say, only a dead body and no witnesses but yourself). By preventing a serious injury to your attacker while also denying them the ability to cause you harm you are also protecting yourself from the legal issues of a physical conflict.