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Aikido: The name aikido is formed of three Japanese characters, ???, usually romanised as ai, ki and do. These are often translated as meaning union, universal energy and way, so aikido can be translated as 'the way to union with universal energy'. Another common interpretation of the characters is harmony, spirit and way, so Aikido can also mean 'the way of spiritual harmony'. Both interpretations draw attention to the fact that aikido's techniques are designed to control an attacker by controlling and redirecting their energy instead of blocking it. An analogy is often made of the way a flexible willow bends with the storm, whereas the stout oak will break if the wind blows too hard. (The Korean martial art commonly known as hapkido uses the same three characters: some suggest a historical link through Daito-ryu, the main origin of aikido).