answer:Aikido definitely is not about kicking ass… and that is why O Sensei (a.k.a. Morihei Ueshiba), the founder of Aikido, is so great and revered. Aikido is all about being one with the universe, and taking advantage of it’s natural flow. In his own words; ”“The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terrible mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter – it is the Art of Peace, the power of love.” Don’t mistake that to mean that Aikido is a gentle art though. Sure, an Aikidoka may not break your arm off, but try taking a swing at them and they may grab it, hold it, and let you snap your arm off yourself. It’s all about circles, both physical and metaphysical. Tae Kwon Do is a bit more physical and a bit less spiritual, but TKD is still about more than just booting people in the head. Many martial arts consider a black belt to signify that you are ready to begin learning; you have mastered teh physical aspects, now it’s time to get into what the martial art is all about. Also note that Samurais were often great artists as well as warriors; they spent as much time with calligraphy, painting, poetry, or something creative as they did with destructive things like the proper way to kill an enemy.