Ki-Aikido (心身統一合氣道 Shinshintouitsu Aikidō) is the style of aikido (a modern Japanese martial art) developed by Koichi Tohei.
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Ki is a Japanese word meaning Life Force, which is conceptually related to the Chinese Qi and is of great importance to the way in which Koichi Tohei's style of aikido is taught. Tohei's style of aikido is correctly called Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido (心身統一合気道 Shin Shin Tōitsu Aikidō), meaning "aikido with mind and body unified", but it is frequently referred to as Ki-Aikido, particularly in the Western world.
Tohei studied judo from the age of 16 and as a result of a training injury developed pleurisy, in response to this he began studying zen and misogi at Daitoku-ji in Kyoto under temple head Josei Ota. The breathing exercises he learned would later directly affect the breathing exercises taught as part of the Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido curriculum.
In 1939 he began studying aikido with its founder Morihei Ueshiba. His training was interrupted by World War II, during which he saw service as an officer. He returned from the war in 1946 and resumed his studies of aikido and misogi. In addition he also began studying Shin Shin Toitsu Do with Tempu Nakamura; much of what he learned from Nakamura would directly influence the development of his aikido teaching methods.
Tohei was asked to come to teach aikido in Hawaii which he did in 1953, and was one of the aikido teachers responsible for spreading aikido to the world outside of Japan. Eventually Tohei was made Shihan Bucho (chief instructor) of the Aikido Hombu (world headquarters) dojo in Tokyo.
In the late 1960s he was awarded 10th dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the highest possible rank in aikido.
Around the time of Morihei Ueshiba's death in 1969 tensions were building between Tohei and Kisshomaru Ueshiba, who was the son of aikido's founder. Whilst Tohei was the chief instructor, it was Kisshomaru Ueshiba who was the designated heir of aikido (he became aikido doshu, doshu meaning "leader of the way" upon his father's death). Much of the disagreement between the two stemmed from Tohei's continuing and increasing emphasis on ki principles and ki exercises which Kisshomaru found contrary to the way his father had taught aikido. This eventually led Kisshomaru to say that Tohei could teach ki principles if he wanted to but not in the Aikikai hombu dojo, so Tohei began doing just that. In 1971 he established the Ki no Kenkyukai to teach the principles of Ki and Unification of Mind and Body, outside the aikido framework. This eventually made his position as chief instructor untenable and in 1974 he resigned from his position at the Aikikai.
The split and its acrimonious nature divided the aikido world with many other aikido teachers forced to choose between the Aikikai headed by the Ueshiba family and Tohei's new Ki no Kenkiyukai organisation.
Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, commonly referred to as Ki Aikido, has specific teaching methods based around the development of mind and body coordination and ki. Much of this teaching is based on the four basic principles to unify mind and body and the five basic principles of aikido, which are:
Four major principles to unify mind and body
Five Principles of Ki Aikido
According to its own sources,[1] there are currently about 30,000 Japanese members and about 100,000 members overseas in 21 countries.
Several students of Tohei sensei have separated from Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido and established their own organizations and styles.
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