The word Aikido

In Japanese, aikido is written with three characters, Ai, Ki and Do. It is often translated as ai=harmony, ki=energy and do=way, so 'the way to deal harmoniously with the energy of yourself and the other'. It turns out, however, to be a little more complicated. 'Aiki' is a Japanese word, originating in the martial arts, that is written with two characters. In the past it meant something like: becoming equal to your partner. In a martial art that is not very useful: if by definition you respond softly when your partner attacks softly, or respond hard when your partner attacks hard, then you are rather predictable... O Sensei, the founder of aikido, broadened that meaning in the sense of: becoming one with your partner. You have no opponent, and you can only respond well to the other once both your movements become one. On top of that, the first character, Ai, in Japanese sounds like 'love, compassion' in the sense of love for all that lives and exists. O Sensei rather liked that as a happy coincidence, so he was content with the term aikido. He himself did not feel it necessary at all to give his movements a name, but after much insistence from his students he was able to agree to it...