Is Aikido Self-Defence?: Aikidoka Thinking (English Edition)

This is a piece of work based on questions from prospective and new students and other interested parties. "Will I be able to defend myself?", or variations on the theme cross the path of every teacher and of most students of Aikido. This is an attempt to answer those questions through the lens of our critics - those who regard Aikido as a lesser art for various reasons. By doing it this way this essay actually goes beyond the question of the title and uses the idea of self-defence as a way to try and describe some of the values that Aikido introduce into the life of the practitioner.