hé qì (aiki) is actually a Taoist term dating back to around the 2nd century
The soft surpasses the hard in both aikido and the Tao Te Ching
Aikido is a traditional martial arts form that you can find in Japan. It is not just another self-defense technique. In fact, you will be able to get much more out of Aikido. It can also be considered as Budo, which refers to a martial art way.
When you take a look at the Japanese word do, you will figure out that it has the same meaning as the Chinese word Tao. Tao refers to a path, which you can follow in order to get a better understanding of your life. In other words, it refers to the way how universe is acting around you and you will be able to get universe to work for you. Therefore, you will be able to see many similarities in between Aikido and Taoism. In fact, Aikido has been influenced by Taoism in the past.
In the Japanese history, all forms of warrior arts have been helpful to the people during times of war. However, people have used them for their own development as well. A form of atrial arts, such as Aikido is in a position to create a strong impact on the character development of a person. These forms of martial art focus on introducing few important qualities to the life of a person. Such qualities introduced by Aikido include strength, decisiveness, courage, compassion and clarity of mind. On the other hand, you will also be able to find many other ideal qualities of human being in Aikido as well. This is the main reason why even people who come from the western parts of the world prefer to engage with martial arts techniques such as Aikido.
The primary objective of Aikido is not just to ensure the development of an individual and make him strong. Along with that, Aikido focuses on creating energy and wisdom within an individual as well. This can transform that person into an influential figure, who will be able to contribute towards the society in a better way. A true martial artist, who has mastered Aikido will never go ahead and get into a conflict with another. Instead, more strategic methods will be followed in order to overcome the true enemies, which are actually living within themselves. As a result, there is a possibility to live a full life. It can be done until the life becomes shygyo.
As per the basic principles of Taoism, human body has the ability to exert power in two different ways. These two methods include expansive and contractive. Most of the fitness activities that you engage with, such as weight training are in a position to help you exert power in a contractive manner. This can eventually contribute towards the betterment of muscle groups of specific muscles. The muscles will be isolated to improve power, mass and tone. However, it comes along with a drawback as well. The disadvantage is that your entire body will rarely be stressed. Even though the power and muscle size would increase, there is no teaming. This is not recommended by Taoism. Instead, you will have to look for a way to drive your entire body in the path of life.
Activities such as Aikido are in a position to provide a great assistance to you with driving your entire body in the path of life. You will be able to get a better understanding about it when you start following Aikido. You will be able to realize how the flow of energy works and how you can harness it with the objective of receiving positive results. Therefore, people who are interested in following Taoism can even go through