Aikido is a form of physical, mental and spiritual education. The name, Aikido, translates as the way (do) to blend or harmonize with (ai) the spirit or nature (ki). Thus the name points toward the art’s underlying principle, which is to blend with any attack, while retaining one’s own balance and thus finding harmony even within conflict. In Aikido, one relies on the study of techniques such as throws, joint locks or nerve strikes to meet any attack with a minimum of effort. The mind of the practitioner should be flexible, calm and focused and the techniques should flow out of a sense of timing, grace and balance. This ability to harmonize with one’s opponent will, through hard training, lead to a greater sense of harmony within oneself and one’s environment and the world.