Aikido Etymology and basic philosophy The word "aikido" is formed of three kanji: ? – ai – joining, unifying, combining, fitting ? – ki – spirit, energy, mood, morale ? – d? – way, path The term "aiki" does not readily appear in the Japanese language outside the scope of Budo. This has led to many possible interpretations of the word. ? is mainly used in compounds to mean 'combine, unite, join together, meet', examples being ?? (combined/united), ?? (composition), ?? (unite/combine/join together), ?? (union/alliance/association), ?? (combine/unify), and ?? (mutual agreement). There is an idea of reciprocity, ???? (to get to know one another), ???? (talk/discussion/negotiation), and ?????? (meet by appointment). ? is often used to describe a feeling, as in X???? ('I feel X', as in terms of thinking but with less cognitive reasoning), and ??? (feeling/sensation); it is used to mean energy or force, as in ?? (electricity) and ?? (magnetism); it can also refer to qualities or aspects of people or things, as in ?? (spirit/trait/temperament). The term d? is also found in martial arts such as judo and kendo, and in various non-martial arts, such as Japanese calligraphy (shod?), flower arranging (kad?) and tea ceremony (chad? or sad?). Therefore, from a purely literal interpretation, aikido is the "Way of combining forces", in that the term aiki refers to the martial arts principle or tactic of blending with an attacker's movements for the purpose of controlling their actions with minimal effort. One applies aiki by understanding the rhythm and intent of the attacker to find the optimal position and timing to apply a counter-technique.