Aikido: Ai, blending Ki, energy Do, the way. Aikido, or the art of blending energy, trains practitioners to blend with the motion of an attack by redirecting an assailant’s movement into dynamic throws or pinning techniques. At first, this can seem almost magical with attackers flying through the air or withering in pain from what appear to be effortless movements. It is not magic, but rather movement that makes Aikido so effective.