Aikido vs Fencing
Aikido and Fencing side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Aikido | Fencing | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | — |
| Founder | Morihei Ueshiba | — |
| Type | budō and martial arts | combat sport and Olympic sport |
| Competition at the Olympics | — | Yes – 108 Olympic events recorded |
| Notable practitioners here | 90 | 3202 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan, United States and France | France, Italy and United States |
| Equipment and weapons | — | foil, épée and saber |
| Belt ranks | Yes | — |
| Energy use (MET) | — | 6.0 MET (Fencing, general) |
Aikido
Aikido (Shinjitai: 合気道, Kyūjitai: 合氣道, aikidō, Japanese pronunciation: [aikiꜜdoː]) is a modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Aikikai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 140 countries.
From the Wikipedia article Aikido (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Fencing
Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: foil, épée, and sabre (also spelled saber), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fencers specialise in one of these disciplines. The modern sport gained prominence near the end of the 19th century, evolving from historical European swordsmanship. The Italian school altered the historical European martial art of classical fencing, and the French school later refined that system. Scoring points in a fencing competition is done by making contact with the opponent with one's sword.
From the Wikipedia article Fencing (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q43114, Q12100. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.