Aikido is martial arts that resulted from the combination of several disciplines. It was created by Ueshiba sometime in the 1940s. It was the result of Ueshiba’s search for a technique that provided him with contentment not only in the technical sense but also in the spiritual end.
Aikido comes from the three Japanese words, ai-ki-do, which means joining, spirit, and way respectively. In essence, aikido is a martial arts form that focuses on the joining of the spirit and the body and the mind to find the Way.
When an attacker is approaching, the person only has a split second to decide whether to dodge or block the move of the opponent. There is no point thinking about what this happened in the first place but the concern now is just to stop it.
In a fight, the person can make a counter attack in the hopes that the individual will be subdued. There is another way of course without resorting to force, which is the technique one can learn in aikido.
It only takes a split second whether someone comes out as a victor or a loser in combat. The person can try to remember it later on to see what errors were made in order to become a better fighter in the future.
Such things also happen in competition which is why it is best for the student to be familiar with the various aikido moves at all times.
For instance, in Ai hanmi Iriminage a person grabs the attacker by the neck and forces the opponent to the ground.