Aikido vs Judo: Difference and Comparison

Aikido and Judo are two of the most well-known Japanese martial arts in the entire globe today, only surpassed by Karate and ancient Jiu-Jitsu (Jujutsu).

Both rely on tackling, tossing, and bringing the opponent down rather than striking with straight punches. Despite the fact that their certain similarities may cause individuals to mistake these two, they are still fundamentally quite different.

Key Takeaways

1. Aikido focuses on redirecting an opponent’s energy and using their momentum against them, while Judo involves grappling and throwing techniques.
2. Judo is an Olympic sport, whereas Aikido is not.
3. Aikido emphasizes harmony and blending with the attacker, while Judo concentrates on gaining leverage and control.

Aikido vs Judo

Aikido is a martial art that uses throws, joint locks, and pins to neutralize an opponent’s attack. It was set in the early 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba. Judo is a martial art focusing on throwing styles, grappling, and ground fighting. It was developed in the late 19th century by Jigoro Kano.

Aikido places a greater emphasis on neutralizing the opponent’s aggressive energy. The learner defeats his opponent by employing concentric steps and timed moves that capitalize on the assailant’s momentum.

Master Ueshiba taught the technique using a variety of fighting methods, including Aiki jujitsu, blade, spears, and staff. It incorporates, in addition to the actions, self-defense and personal growth. It is based on the tenets of peace and non-resistance.

Judo is a fantastic and dynamic fighting sport that requires both physical skill and a high level of mental discipline. It entails methods that let you lift and toss your opponents onto their backs from a standing posture.

On the mat, it involves tactics for pinning your competitors to the ground, controlling them, and using different chokeholds or joint locks till submission.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Aikido	Judo
Founder	Morihei Ueshiba	Dr. Jigoro Kano
The year they were introduced in	1951	1882
Basics	Throws and takedowns	Grappling discipline
Nature	Passive	Aggressive
Purpose	To create physical harmony, steady mind, and soul	People attempting to subdue each other through balance and power
The emphasis of the art	Coordinating with the opposition’s spirit	Scientific methodology of coordination and balance
Learning principles	A strong spiritual base	Competitive sport

What is Aikido?

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that incorporates throwing, joint locking, attacking, and pinning techniques with instruction in traditional Japanese weaponry such as swords, staff, and daggers.

Morihei Ueshiba created Aikido in the early twentieth century because of his comprehensive study of many armed and disarmed combat systems.

Aikido is a formidable distillation of millennia of Japanese martial wisdom. It is one of the most popular budo, or martial arts, in the world.

Traditional Aikido is non-competitive, and its advancement is earned by proving comprehension of simple exercises and abilities, which grow more challenging or challenging as rank climbs.

People in Aikido aim to work cooperatively with a partner, while still applying effective techniques against an aggressive and realistic assault, but by integrating with the attack and channelings its strength back to the attacker.

Aikido is a particularly efficient martial art for self-defense since it not only trains everyone how to resist a variety of threats, but it also trains mental and physical health.

Enhanced stance and respiration assist everyone to fit better into their body; a positive mindset influences how people move in the environment and how others perceive them

Aikido also contributes to the expansion of one’s spirit, sense of well-being, consciousness, and empathy.

The multifaceted orientation to Aikido training strengthens and completes them as people, better equipped to defuse or protect against stressful conditions.

What is Judo?

Judo arose in Japan as a derivation of the different martial arts created and practiced over hundreds of years by the samurai and feudal warrior class.

Although most of the tactics of judo evolved from disciplines that were intended to harm, maim, or kill the enemy in actual field warfare, the methods of judo have been adapted so that judo practitioners may train and use these principles safely and without injuring opponents.

Judo does not use any kicking, punching, or hitting methods. It does not include applying pressure to an opponent’s joints in order to toss them. And it certainly does not include any equipment or weaponry.

Judo is made up of two Japanese characters: Ju, which indicates “gentle,” and do, which represents “the method.” Judo literally translates to “the method of compassion.”

And although gentleness may not be immediately visible to novices who see limbs flying across the room and people knocked to the ground, it is this softness aspect that is important.

It is a strenuous and taxing physical activity.

Judo technique practice contributes to the expansion of basic and fundamental health and fitness in a variety of ways, including strength development, fluidity, agility, velocity, dynamic and static balancing, explosive strength, and endurance.

Judo trainees also learn the underlying ideas and dynamics of suppressing their rivals on the ground by using pinning and surrender techniques.

Judo practitioners have a large variety of techniques, skills, expertise, and talents due to their prowess on the floor and on their feet, as well as the substantial fundamental physical conditioning earned from regular judo practice.

As a result, they are exceptional athletes with a solid physical foundation of essential abilities, as well as tough and intimidating competitors in contests.

Main Differences Between Aikido and Judo

1. Morihei Ueshiba established Aikido, meanwhile Dr. Jigoro Kano founded Judo.
2. Aikido was presented to the world in 1951, although Judo had been practiced since 1882.
3. Aikido is mainly focused on throws and takedowns, whereas Judo is essentially a grappling discipline.
4. Aikido is all about being passive, meanwhile Judo is all about being aggressive.
5. Aikido just seeks to create physical harmony, as well as a steady mind and soul, rather than winning over the opponent, whereas Judo merely entails two people attempting to subdue each other using the attributes of balance, power, and movement.
6. Aikido emphasizes on harmonizing with the spirit of the opponent, whereas Judo concentrates on the scientific methodology of coordination and balance.
7. Aikido is trained with a powerful spiritual foundation and is not promoted as a competitive sport, whereas Judo is taught as a competitive sport.

References

1. http://cejsh.icm.edu.pl/cejsh/element/bwmeta1.element.desklight-17deca67-a0f8-47d6-be1e-85e78694239d
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10413200008404221

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023