Although aikido is a relatively recent innovation within the world of martial arts, it is heir to a rich cultural and philosophical background. Aikido was created in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1970). Before creating aikido, Ueshiba trained extensively in several varieties of jujitsu, as well as sword and spear fighting. Ueshiba also immersed himself in religious studies and developed an ideology devoted to universal socio-political harmony. Incorporating these principles into his martial art, Ueshiba developed many aspects of aikido in concert with his philosophical and religious ideology. Aikido is not primarily a system of combat, but rather a means of self-cultivation and improvement. Aikido has no tournaments, competitions, contests, or "sparring." Instead, all aikido techniques are learned cooperatively at a pace commensurate with the abilities of each trainee. According to the founder, the goal of aikido is not the defeat of others, but the defeat of the negative characteristics which inhabit one's own mind and inhibit its functioning. Aikido literally means "the Way" (do) of "harmony" (ai) with "energy or nature" (ki).

The objectives of Seidokan Aikido are to study the philosophy and the arts of aikido and further develop them to best suit the modern way of life. Seidokan Aikido is the study of aikido as a whole. Old traditions are analyzed and only the good traditions are kept and further developed so that they can be useful in our daily lives. Seidokan Aikido emphasizes the attitude of training. The students and the instructors grow together at Seidokan Aikido dojos. The students learn the fundamentals from the instructors and the instructors gain deeper understanding of aikido while sharing their knowledge with the students. Through earnest, realistic and sincere training, the students of Seidokan Aikido will learn the true meaning of aikido. The motto for Seidokan is "earnest, sincere, and realistic." This is derived from the kanji for "sei" (alternatively pronounced "makoto") which means "fundamental truth." Seidokan therefore emphasizes an approach to aikido which requires continued honest evaluation of both technique and philosophy. In particular, Seidokan follows the line of tradition of O'Sensei which encourages ongoing refinement of the art to accommodate a modern way of life. Technique as taught by Seidokan Kancho, Roderick T. Kobayashi, tends to utilize movements which are very small and economical. While Kobayashi Sensei encouraged his students to discover an aikido which is truly their own, he nevertheless stressed the importance of doing away with the extraneous and focusing on that which works. Effective technique which manifests the principles of oneness and "loving protection of all things" is the goal of Seidokan practice. *remarks on this page are from Aikido Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List Version 1.1 & Seidokan Aikido World Headquarters

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