Aikido was founded by Japanese master Morihei UESHIBA (1883 - 1969) about 75 years ago. Origins of Aikido are in Daito Aikijutsu (900 AC) which was kept only by members of Japanese royal family until in first half of 19th century Sokaku TAKEDA start to teach it outside. Master Morihei UESHIBA build from old Japanese martial art's technics very powerfull art with unique philosophy.

Competitors in aikido seek for harmony between body and mind powers including harmony between other people as well as with potential attackers. For defense no great strength is needed - it is replaced by dexterity and with special kind of movement, which allow to avoid atact and keep mental and physical ascendancy over atacker (KI power). Own atacker's energy is used to paralyze him. Aikido is suitable for everybody.

School of Yoshinkan Aikido was founded by Gozo SHIODA (1915 - 1994), one of the best Morihei UESHIBA's student. Gozo SHIODA studied and earned a 3rd Dan in Judo while still a teenager. He then discovered Morihei UESHIBA's school and immersed himself in an eight year full-time, intense study of this new martial art. He readily mastered Ueshiba's teachings and was eventually awarded Aikido's first 9th Dan.

Yoshinkan Aikido is now taught nationally in Japanese schools and the Tokyo Police Department as well as to the general public. Yoshinkan Aikido has also spread worldwide. In 1990, Gozo Shioda established the International Yoshinkan Aikido Federation (IYAF) to bring together and organize virtually all global Yoshinkan Aikido dojos and instructors.

Yoshinkan Aikido is occasionally called the "hard" style because the strict and sometimes gruelling training methods are a product of the pre-war military period Gozo Shioda spent as a student of Ueshiba.

Yoshinkan Aikido uses six fundamental training movements and about 150 common defensive techniques which are practiced repeatedly. Mastering these basics conditions students are able to execute the remaining techniques, which are thought to total about 3000 in all.

Yoshinkan Aikido is not a sport. It is the cooperative development of both physical and mental dexterity. But there is also an incredibly powerful and practical self-defense side of Aikido that is available to all, irrespective of size, age, gender, race or culture.

Some part of this text are originaly from www.aikido.ca/burnaby/