Uchi Deshi

I have had this phrase rolling around in my head now for over a decade: aikidoThe word "Aikido" is made up of three japanese characters: ai - harmony, ki - spirit, mind, or universal energy, do - the way. Thus Aikido is "the way of harmony with universal energy." is for life. At first glance it seems contradictory. Aikido is a martial art and that means physical conflict to me. Given that we live in an advanced society that frowns on resolving personal differences through physical confrontation, the contradiction comes into focus. How can I apply a method of resolving physical conflict (aikido) in a world where physical conflict is rare?