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Aikido was created with aspects of Jujutsu, Judo, Karate, and Kendo in mind but Aikido seems to lack any of their strengths or what would be considered "hard technique". Prior to Aikido, those who developed a style did it with military aspects in mind. Aikido was the first of many modern martial arts to be more about finding fulfillment and less concern with fundamentals like practical self defense. This modern martial art emphasizes the need for good health, spiritual development and winning without hurting an opponent. Though the art claims has ties to Japan's ancient warrior traditions Aikido is more of a spiritual and physical exercise routine than a way to defend yourself. 

Finding spiritual fulfillment and keeping fit are good qualities, but hardly enough to make Aikido an art of self defense. In football it has been said that the best defense is a good offense, the same applies to your self defense training. To win a fight you need to seize the initiative and not be reactionary. An Aikido student is trained to wait for the knife to come out and even come towards them before they make a move while a student of combatives will strike their opponent and take them down before the blade is even out of the sheath (reducing the chance of getting hurt dramatically.) 

In addition to the empty hand training, Aikido does offer traditional weapons training which includes the jo (4-foot staff), bokken (wooden sword), and wooden (or sometimes rubber) tanto (knife). When practicing empty hand techniques against these weapons, Aikido students are taught that they can disarm an attacker with little effort and after an attacker makes the first move. To do this, an Aikido fighter will usually seize an attacker by one body part like a wrist or ankle and flip the attacker or apply a joint lock. Originally, these moves were taken from Judo (it should be noted many of the masters of Aikido learned another martial art first and use that training to fill the gaps left in the Aikido training) but these techniques were later discarded proving too complicated to recall in actual combat. 

The strong appeal of Aikido is it doesn't rely on flexibility, speed, or strength and it encourages students to find balance in their lives and to find a peaceful solution to conflicts. Others are simply impressed when they see actor and martial artist Steven Seagal who is a 7th-dan black belt in Aikido. While it might look good on film you have to keep in mind that Hollywood martial arts aren't real martial arts. In real life the bad guys don't go down nearly so easily and attack on cue.

Like Judo and Jujutsu and other styles Aikido uses an attacker's moment against them rather than respond to force with force. While this is a sound principal Aikido doesn't have any offensive moves forcing some practitioners to adopt additional martial arts to supplement their training Aikidoka (Aikido practioner) is trained to start moving in a circle until they're able to throw their attacker. Since this move only works with the help of a training partner there is much doubt that it will be useful in a real fight, even if you have the time and the space. Law enforcement agencies that teach techniques from its more violent forefather Aiki-Jujitsu. But in the field they simply respond with overwhelming force and weapons. 

Aikido may help you achieve enlightenment, but it will be at the cost of your safety. 

Waiting for someone to attack is no way to win a fight. Nobody likes hurting others, but when it comes to survival taking the moral high road is not in your best interest. Many Aikido masters seemed to have learned this as well. Many are now teaching more aspects of Judo and have added striking. Don't waste your time training in an art that only takes some aspects of Jujutsu and just learn combatives or proven self defense methods. Be a better fighter and a survivor. From the beginning there has always been a spiritual side to martial arts, but it should never get in the way of living and winning. The lesson is survive first and be spiritual afterwards.