Aikido..... the quiet martial art.
Ai = harmony, blending.
Ki = spiritual or life energy.
Do = way or path.
Aikido is a philosophy to be applied to everyday living. The physical training in the dojo (school) is the forum through which these lessons are taught.
Aikido translates as "the Way of harmonizing spiritual energy". Through physical training, we learn to harmonize with the energy of uke (our training partner). Flowing dynamic motions are used to 'control' uke. From here we learn to harmonize our own energy with the world around us to take control of our lives.
Aikido techniques were developed by the Samurai to encompass weaponless combat. They were designed to attack an enemies' joints and balance to negate their armor, relying upon circular flowing movements combined with joint locks and pressure points to effect control.
Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei combined these principles with the philosophies of Bhuddism and The Way of the Samurai to create modern Aikido.
Martial Arts are a way of life, they are not about fighting. The Do in Aikido means, a Way of life. Karate used to be called Karate-do, the artful form of jiyu-jitsu is called ju-do. Jitsu and Do are the two forms of all martial arts. The jitsu style of any martial form is the war like techniques. This is the way one would use the techniques on the battle field. The jitsu form of Aiki techniques would use joint locks for the purpose of destroying an opponents joints. If you could break a samurai's elbow in the battle field, you would not have to kill him. A broken elbow would never heal properly, thus the samurai could never again wield his sword. The sword is a samurai's life, without the ability to use it, the samurai would be of no use to his master, he would slink off the battle field and take his own life.
When there were no wars to left to fight, the martial forms were still practiced diligently, but as Do's rather then jitsu. Kata's of movement, with or without weapons were practiced, not for the battle field, but for personal growth. Simply for the purpose of training one's mind and body. They were used as a form of meditation, constant repetition for reaching that state of single mindedness, oneness, the path to spiritual enlightenment.
After world war II, the allies administering Japan recognized the power of these arts, and their destructive potential. Thus all the arts were banned, at least publicly. From then on, they were only allowed as sports. Hence Karate-do simply became Karate etc. Right on up to modern times, these arts are still practiced as sports, much of the philosophy was lost from one generation of Sensei's to the next. Some teachers try and include what little they know of the old ideals of martial arts, but for the most part, a martial arts school is a place to go for a work out and participate in competitions breaking bricks and scoring points with punches.
The modern, current form of Aikido was developed well after this ban, when relations between Japan and the allies were on a much more friendly level. So it didn't have these restrictions.
O-Sensei took the Aiki-jujitsu techniques, and combined them with the philosophies of Bhuddism and Bushido (the Way of the Samurai) to create a peaceful, benevolent art. The philosophies are the art of Aikido, the physical training is the medium used to impart these teachings.
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