Ki Aikido

Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido (心身統一合氣道) or Ki Aikido (氣合氣道) is a Japanese gendai budo (contemporary martial art). It is one of the arts derived from the original Aikido, appearing after the founder's death in 1969. Ki Aikido started in 1971 with the creation of the Ki No Kenkyūkai (known in English as Ki Society) by Koichi Tohei, while he was still Chief Instructor at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Eventually Tohei split from the Aikikai in 1974 to focus full time on his new organization. This martial art focuses on mind and body coordination and is based on aikido techniques and Japanese yoga and promote non-violent conflict solving and self-development.

Tohei was taught Shinshin-tōitsu-dō (also known as 'Japanese yoga') by Tempu Nakamura. He felt that Tempu's teaching and explanation made clear what Morihei Ueshiba was able to do in his aikido (particularly the idea that the mind moves the body). As a result he started bringing in exercises from Shinshin-tōitsu-dō, such as 'unbendable arm' and 'unraisable body' into his aikido teaching. He started to do this as Chief Instructor of the Aikikai, while Morihei Ueshiba was still alive. He also felt the concepts of Shinshin-tōitsu-dō were more clearly applicable to daily life. It was later that he formalised his style, including leaving out some aikido techniques that he felt were ineffective against a partner who could coordinate mind and body. Although Tohei gave the Ki Development aspect of his style the name Shinshin-tōitsu-dō, it only covered part of Tempu's teaching, and included some of his own modifications.

The teaching of Ki Aikido has been split between different federations, each reflecting the experience of their respective founders: the Ki Society under Koichi Tohei and later his son Shin'ichi Tohei, Ki no Kenkyukai Internationale Association under Kenjiro Yoshigasaki, Ki Federation of Great Britain under Kenneth Williams and more recently Shin Shin Aikido under Peter Hughes.