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Aikido (the Way of Harmony) evolved from the original Samurai arts of Japan. Originally it was Aikijutsu which involved joint locks, throws, breaks, throws and some limited sword work. It was and is an elegant and at times brutal art. Aikido's founder Morihei Ueshiba was trained in this and other martial ways as well. Eventually Morihei Sensei became troubled with the concept of violence and the damage it caused. He then set out to create an art in which you could control your attacker so that they could not harm you and you could inflict minimum if any harm to them. Modern Aikido on the physical level involves throws and joint locks to overcome an opponents aggression. The art places a lot of emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement. Aikido goes much deeper than that though. There is also emphasis based on spirituality and embracing a philosophy of peace. That's my take on the art, I practice Aikijutsu which is its precursor but know a bit about Aikido and have attended a few classes. As for being good for beginners, absolutely. Gotta start somewhere. Oh, BTW Steven Seagal's art is Aikido.
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Thousands of Monkeys, all screaming at once. Pulling God's finger.
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