In this we study specific responses to specific attacks, be these holds or strikes. Again, they are worked on in small groups, with more experienced members helping the less experienced. The emphasis is again on mutual improvement and safety, matching the level of the techniques to the abilities of the people doing them. All the classes begin with a short period of meditation followed by stretching and warming up. Although they can be studied separately, they were designed to work together.
Injuries are rare, serious ones extremely rare, and instructors are qualified in first aid.
The founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, believed that competition would be too dangerous given the potential power of the techniques. Many aikido practitioners would say that the idea of competition runs completely counter to the whole way of thought on which aikido is based. The closest we get to competition are exercises called Tai gi in which pairs working together try to execute set sequences of techniques in as close as possible to a specified time, usually about one minute. Heavyweight ones of the kind used in Judo are appropriate because they don't rip easily. There are six coloured belts before black belt in this school.