ABSTRACT
In the Eastern martial art of aikido, the warrior learns ‘never to go against the opponent’s strength’, but rather to blend with and redirect the energy of his attacker.1 The aikido master knows how to, ‘touch softly and gently’ in order to use the power already generated by his adversary. In the midst of motion and conflict there is an exact point to apply pressure and a precise intervention that will subdue the attack. In contrast to this ‘way of gentle harmony’, the Western disciplines of boxing and wrestling are characterized by collision and force overwhelming force.
