Why Were Aikido Strikes Removed? I Tested Them to Find Out!

#aikido #martialartshistory #japanesemartialarts Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, claimed that striking — known as atemi — made up 70% of the art. Yet in modern Aikido, striking is often minimal or entirely absent. So what happened? In this video, I investigate why striking was gradually removed from Aikido, tracing the art from its Daito-ryu roots through Ueshiba’s spiritual transformation and the post-war standardisation that shaped modern Aikido. I also work with a third-degree black belt from the Kishinkai School under Leo Tamaki to test what happens when striking is reintroduced into core Aikido techniques. 🕒 CHAPTERS 0:00 — Introduction 0:24 — Aikido’s Daito-ryu Origins 1:02 — Ueshiba’s Spiritual Transformation 2:25 — Post-War Japan & the Transformation of Aikido 3:27 — The Technical Consequences of Removing Striking 4:02 — Testing Aikido With Striking Reintroduced 5:43 — Interview: The Role of Striking in Aikido 7:06 — Does Striking Make Aikido More Effective? 7:39 — Findings 📌 TOPICS COVERED Aikido history, atemi in Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Koichi Tohei, Leo Tamaki, Kishinkai Aikido, martial arts history, Aikido effectiveness, Aikido striking, post-war martial arts, traditional Japanese martial arts, Japanese martial arts history, Aikido techniques, martial arts evolution 📚 RELATED READING Atemi: The Thunder and Lightning of Aikido by Walther von Krenner, Kenneth Jeremiah, and Mark Wiley eBook: https://amzn.to/49uXnje Paperback: https://amzn.to/4tsaqcl Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti eBook: https://amzn.to/4uQsCxG Paperback: https://amzn.to/42xKEIQ Hardcover: https://amzn.to/4u9r2a1 The Art of Peace — Morihei Ueshiba eBook: https://amzn.to/3JvRCIo Paperback: https://amzn.to/43z44Oh 📘 MY BOOKS Legendary Masters of the Martial Arts eBook: https://amzn.to/47DBD4g Hardback: https://amzn.to/47SzcJU Paperback: https://amzn.to/47DBIF6 The Martial Arts of Vietnam: An Overview of History and Styles eBook: https://amzn.to/41bESMq Paperback: https://amzn.to/48jTgWz Top 10 Techniques Every Fighter Should Know (Series) eBook: https://amzn.to/4cdrOMM Paperback: https://amzn.to/3Qc5732 ▶ WATCH NEXT    • How Did Shaolin Kung Fu Become a Japanese ...   🔔 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE For more deep dives into martial arts history, forgotten techniques, combat myths, and the evolution of traditional martial arts, subscribe to the channel.