Lehigh Valley Aikido Kokikai

Kokikai Aikido founder Sensei Shuji Maruyama began his study of Aikido in 1955. "Kokikai is an Aikido is based on Maruyama Sensei's many years of teaching experience in the United States and has a distinctly international character. Aikido techniques can generally be divided into two categories: pressure holds, which cause momentary pain at an opponent's joints, and throws, which are primarily administered by turning an aggressor's momentum against him or her. Since joint holds can be administered in the direction of natural motion, one can subdue an assailant without the necessity of breaking limbs or causing permanent injury. Therefore, Aikido is one martial art that rejects the concept of checking violence with violence. The use of physical strength is of no particular advantage in the study of this martial art, making it ideal for men, women, and children alike. Maruyama Sensei has refined the techniques to make Aikido more effective in modern circumstances using only necessary strength, using the minimum effort necessary to achieve maximum results, and applying that feeling to techniques responsive to the realities of modern unarmed fighting. Kokikai Aikido practice is characterized by realistic, focused attacks, and the fluid responses that employ timing and rhythm to take the opponents balance completely before the application of either throwing or pinning techniques."