AIKIDO is the peaceful Martial Art, with neither competition nor attack techniques. Instead, the aikido practicioner aims for elegance and softness: to receive the attack and guide it toward an outcome pleasant for both.   The aikido techiques are as gentle as they are powerful, extending the attack by circular and spiral movements. Defender and attacker form a union, without any collision of forces, without triumphant victory for one and humiliating defeat for the other.   Aikido practicioners dress in a keikogi of judo or karate type, and the traditional samurai wide pants hakama. The keikogi needs to be more soft than sturdy, and the hakama should keep its creeses through many falls to the floor.   The hakama should follow the movements gracefully. Aikiken is the aikido practice with a bokken, the wooden sword. It is done solo or with a partner. Here, the aikido principles are applied to the Japanese sword arts. The bokken must be of very solid wood, to stand some rapid fencing. Its surface should be smooth, but not slippery.     Aikijo is the practice with the Japanese staff called jo, traditionally used by both some samurai and police officers. In aikido it is trained solo or with a partner. The jo needs to remain straight. Like the bokken, it should have a smooth but not slippery surface, and be solid enough to take some beating. These photos were taken by Binge Eliasson. Tori: Peter Dho Spangfort, Sweden, 5 dan Aikikai and 3 dan Ki-Aikido. Notice that you can click on each picture to see an enlarged version. © SBI Sport AB. All rights reserved. Web design: Stefan Stenudd. Subscribe to our newsletter. KARATE JUDO TAEKWONDO JUJUTSU AIKIDO TAIDO SWORD BUDO-NORD is a brand of quality equipment for the Martial Arts since the 1960's. We are based in Sweden and sell to several European countries. Visit our internet store, by clicking our logotype to the right.