Aikido Quotes

In Aikido we never attack. An attack is proof that one is out of control. Never run away from any kind of challenge, but do not try to suppress or control an opponent unnaturally. Let attackers come any way they like and then blend with them. Never chase after opponents. Redirect each attack and get firmly behind it.

Why do people value others’ time so little? Now we would have the inevitable small talk. I could have spent fifteen minutes at home practicing aikido.

I came to New York because I was fleeing from the double-wide baby stroller, from the culture of respectability of the bourgeois suburban middle class. And my dream is that the elements of New York that are vital—the elements that are artistic, that are alternative, that resist capital, that are humane—not only endure but thrive, and maybe they do some sort of aikido reversal. They take [diversity-killing trends] and fucking slam them on their heads.

One thing that makes aikido is so powerful, it utilizes power of opponents to win the fight.

Aikido ain't a defensive nor offensive martial art. It proactively halts the enemy's intention to attack.

The Aikido I practice has room for each of the world's eight million gods and I cooperate with each of them. The Great Spirit of Aiki enjoins all that is Divine and enlightened in every land. Unite yourself to the Divine, and you will be able to perceive gods wherever you are.

Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.

O-Sensei was frequently head to say. 'Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy. It is the way to harmonize the world and make humanity one family.

We need to remember that the primary goal of Aikido is harmony and good relations between people. If we don't cultivate a harmonious heart along with technical skill, there will be a lack of integration in our practice, which will show up in behavior off the mat.

In Aikido, we train not to learn how to win; we train to learn to emerge victorious in any situation

Don't make the mistake of depending on the presence of certain people for your training,' he advised me. 'Teachers come and go. My own teacher, O-Sensei, died not long ago. I could have given up when O-Sensei passed away. Instead, I've continued my practice, even though I've found it difficult at times. Don't rely on other people. Do your best Aikido practice wherever you are.

In Aikido training, we learn from everyone. We learn from the most experience people, but we also learn from new students. Everyone is connected through the heart and develops a mutual understanding. It is important to create a place where that can happen.

What we call “mastery” can be defined as that mysterious process through which what is at first difficult or even impossible becomes easy and pleasurable through diligent, patient, long-term practice.

To appreciate the best opportunity for attack and defence, you must fully understand the rhythm of movement. (Page 28).

To gain mastery you must unite the qualities of spirit, strength, technique and the ability to take the initiative. (Page 31).

Aikido in Everyday Life by Terry Dobson and Victor Miller. Their premise is that “the best victory is the one in which everyone wins.

Aikido is not ultimately Japanese: It is an art of universal truth and international significance.

Aikido means the oneness of the way of the spirit, of being at one with the life force. (Page 17).

Then let me ask you”—here it comes, the verbal aikido that will use my words to topple my beliefs—“is it possible to live your authentic life if you have inauthentic people around you?

Instead of foolishly waging war, hereafter we will wage peace, the true purpose of Aikido. We will train to prevent war, to abolish nuclear weapons, to protect the environment, and to serve society

Now is the most important time. The world today is chaotic-you know this. But the age of the heart will come. O-Sensei emphasized that we must return to the heart. Firmly grasp O-Sensei's philosophy–the heart of Aikido–and integrate it into your technique, into your own body. Train hard and well, until, like O-Sensei, light shines out from your heart. Then what comes out of you naturally will be Aikido.

One becomes vulnerable when one stops to think about winning, losing, taking advantage, impressing or disregarding the opponent. When the mind stops, even for a single instant, the body freezes, and free, fluid movement is lost.

We face the enemy and contend with him—if he turns away we let him go. (Page 13).

If you try to learn with your intellect, it is more difficult to absorb the teachings on a deep level. The mind looks at something and says, I don't want that; I want this instead. But as you simply continue to train, something changes. What changes is deeper than your intellectual knowledge, deeper than mind or heart.

My meditation objective is to be calmer and to assist with my practice in aikido and krav maga. I generally sit between 10 and 20 minutes every day in the morning. What I have found is that if a meditation method works for you, then use it. I have seen some other styles of practice that I have initially thought nonsense, such as focusing on dolphin sounds, Indian shaman chanting, and so on. But if at the end of the day it works for you…then it works.

Aikido is the Way of Harmony. It brings together people of all races and manifests the original form of all things. The universe has a single source, and from that core all things emerged in a cosmic pattern. At the end of WWII, it become clear that the world needed to be purified of filth and degradation, and that is why Aikido emerged. In order to eliminate war, deception, greed, and hatred, the gods of peace and harmony manifested their powers. All of us in this world are members of the same family, and we should work together to make discord and war disappear from our midst. Without Love, our nation, the world, and the universe will be destroyed.

To reach an understanding of Aikido as love, you have to be shinken [completely focused; as if wielding a real sword]. You need to commit yourself, body and soul. Without a wholehearted focus, you won;t be able to effectively love yourself or someone else. You can't half-heartedly achieve a true love. It has to be shinken. It must be real.

Forgiveness is like the martial arts of consciousness.  In aikido and other martial arts, we sidestep our attacker's force rather than resisting it.  The energy of the attack then boomerangs back in the direction of the attacker. forgiveness works in the same way.  When we attack back, and defense is a form of attack, we initiate a war which no one can win.

what is LOVE ?

[...] before you can control your opponent's body you must first control his mind. (Page 17).

Aikido versus Aikido breeds weakness and self-deceit.

Seek to become conscious of being filled with ki, the power of the universe, and to use that power well. To be at one with this great power is aikido, the way of the spirit. (Page 17).

Aikido practice is a method of incorporating the fundamentals of Great Harmony, Great Love, and Gratitude into one's own heart. To integrate these fundamentals into Aikido technique, I have to eliminate the sense of winning and losing. The feeling of completion must be completely transmuted into the heart of gratitude and harmony. If I am able to do that, I will transcend issues of relative strength or skill.

Internal martial arts such as Tai Chi Chuan, Pa Kua, Hsing-i, and Aikido speak the language of the psychedelic body. What is more psychedelic, in fact, than the ability to feel how an opponent will attack before a single gesture is made?

Hence Lao-tzu’s emphasis on softness. Softness means the opposite of rigidity, and is synonymous with suppleness, adaptability, endurance. Anyone who has seen a t’ai chi or aikido master doing not-doing will know how powerful this softness is.

Through my willingness to train every day and to dig deep in the after-class ukemi sessions, over time I earned the respect and friendship of my training partners, who were mostly Japanese men sincerely surprised to find themselves training with an American woman.

Should you devote your life to asshole aikido? While that would not be entirely unworthy, there are probably better things to do with the limited time one has in life, things such as learning to paint large canvases in the abstract; refining one’s taste in jazz; or, indeed, learning the martial art of aikido for the sake of the practice itself (rather than for the few occasions one will ever use it in a fight). Life affords only so much time, and there are better things to do—sweeter spots to hit—than perfection in the asshole management arts.

But when I sat listening with the other Aikido students and teachers on the mat at the Kumano Juku Dojo, all of us dripping with sweat and focused intently on the practice of Aikido in the here and now, the Floating Bridge of Heaven did not feel like an abstract reference to a story of the past. It was a vivid invitation to venture into the world of the spirit, and to integrate that sacred spirit of creativity into all of our actions. It was a compelling reminder that to O-Sensei, and by extension to all sincere students of his art, Aikido was far more than physical technique.

The subtle working of ki is the maternal source that affects changes in breath. It is also the source of martial art as love. When one unifies mind and body by virtue of ki and manifests ai-ki (harmony of ki), delicate changes in breath-power occur spontaneously and "waza" (proper technique) flows freely.

I wasn't thinking about them. "I was thinking -" "Don't. You need all your energy for fighting or you'll do something stupid like use an aikido pin on a wolf." "Um, pretty sure you're the one who -" "Nope, you did." She winked at him. "I've rewritten the scene. You pinned the wolf. I saved your butt. It was epic.

However keen you may be to begin your study, before you venture on to the mat and attempt any of the basic techniques it is necessary to know something of the principles that govern aikido, for unless you do understand a little about posture, movement, balance, gentleness and courtesy, you will not be a satisfactory pupil. (Page 18).

Don’t pay attention to the people mocking you. “Don’t answer the fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself”.

Ultimately, physical, psychological and spiritual mastery are one and the same. The egoless self is open, flexible, supple, fluid and dynamic in body, mind and spirit.

Simply stated, aikido is a budo open to all people who aspire to unify the ki of the universe with the ki of oneself. For all members of the human race, it is the path to attaining harmony with all beings. The gates of aikido are open to people of all ages, classes, sexes, nationalities and races. Non-discrimination and non-exclusiveness are basic characteristics of aikido.

Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido, stated: Rise early in the morning to greet the sun. Inhale and let yourself soar to the ends of the universe; breathe out and let the cosmos inside. Next breathe up the fe- cundity and vibrance of the Earth. Blend the breath of Earth with your own and become the breath of life it- self. Your mind and body will be gladdened, depression and heartache will dissipate and you will be filled with gratitude.5

The principle of avoiding conflict and never opposing an aggressor’s strength head-on is the essence of aikido. We apply the same principle to problems that arise in life. The skilled aikidoist is as elusive as the truth of Zen; he makes himself into a koan—a puzzle which slips away the more one tries to solve it. He is like water in that he falls through the fingers of those who try to clutch him. Water does not hesitate before it yields, for the moment the fingers begin to close it moves away, not of its own strength, but by using the pressure applied to it. It is for this reason, perhaps, that one of the symbols for aikido is water.

Jobs had not tempered his way of dealing with employees. “He applied charm or public humiliation in a way that in most cases proved to be pretty effective,” Tribble recalled. But sometimes it wasn’t. One engineer, David Paulsen, put in ninety-hour weeks for the first ten months at NeXT. He quit when “Steve walked in one Friday afternoon and told us how unimpressed he was with what we were doing.” When Business Week asked him why he treated employees so harshly, Jobs said it made the company better. “Part of my responsibility is to be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” But he still had his spirit and charisma. There were plenty of field trips, visits by aikido masters, and off-site retreats.

I do trust you though. I think if someone tried to take me, you’d at least fight them for me a little…” I watched his face for a moment before narrowing my eyes. “Wouldn’t you?” That had his other eye popping open, his cheeks still slightly pink, but everything else about him completely alert. “You know I would.” Why that pleased me so much, I wasn’t going to overanalyze. “If someone tried to take you, I know aikido, some jiu-jitsu, and kickboxing,” I offered him up. “But my dentist says I have really strong teeth, so I’d be better off trying to bite someone’s finger or ear off instead.” Aaron’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead almost comically. “Like a little Chihuahua,” he suggested, the spoon going into his mouth with a sly grin. I winked at him, immediately regretting it. I didn’t want it to come across like I was flirting. “I was thinking more of a piranha. I’ve only had one filling in my entire life,” I told him, wishing each word coming out of my mouth wasn’t coming out of it. If he thought I was being awkward or a flirt, he didn’t make it known. “Or a raptor.” “A lion.” “A tiger.” “Did you know a jaguar has twice the strength in its bite than a tiger does?” Aaron frowned as he took another bite of his oatmeal. “No shit?” “No. Two thousand pounds per square inch. They’re the only big cat that kills their prey by biting its head, through bone and everything. A tiger bites the neck of whatever animal they’re eating to cut their air and blood flow off. Crazy, huh?” He looked impressed. “I had no idea.” I nodded. “Not a lot of people do.” “Is there anything that bites harder than they do?” “Crocodiles. The really big ones. I’m pretty sure they have about 4000 or 5000 psi bites.” For the fifty-second time, I shrugged. “I like watching the Animal Channel and Discovery,” I said, making it sound like an apology. Aaron gave me that soft smile that made me feel like my insides were on fire. Then he winked. “I don’t know much about crocodiles, but I know all about alligators,” he offered. “Did you know there are only two species left in the world?” “There are?” “American alligator and the Asian alligator. More than a fifth of all of them live in Florida.” “We have some gators in Texas. There’s a state park by Houston where you can go and you can usually see a bunch. I went camping there one time.” One corner of his mouth tilted up as he chewed. “Look at you, Rebel Without a Cause.” With anyone else, I’d probably think they were picking on me, but I could see the affection on Aaron’s face. I could feel the kindness that just came off him in waves, so I winked back at him. “I live life on the edge. I should start teaching a class on how to be bad.” “Right? Quitting your job, coming to Florida even though you were worried….” He trailed off with a grin and a look out of the corner of his eye. “I pretty much have my masters and license to practice. I’ll teach people everything I know.

Mr. Haverstrom closes the door, leaving Patrick and me alone in the hallway. Pat smiles slickly, leaning in toward me. I step back until I press against the wall. It’s uncomfortable—but not threatening. Mostly because in addition to racquetball I’ve practiced aikido for years. So if Patrick tries anything funny, he’s in for a very painful surprise. “Let’s be honest, Sarah: you know and I know the last thing you want to do is give a presentation in front of hundreds of people—your colleagues.” My heart tries to crawl into my throat. “So, how about this? You do the research portion, slides and such that I don’t really have time for, and I’ll take care of the presentation, giving you half the credit of course.” Of course. I’ve heard this song before—in school “group projects” where I, the quiet girl, did all the work, but the smoothest, loudest talker took all the glory. “I’ll get Haverstrom to agree on Saturday—I’m like a son to him,” Pat explains before leaning close enough that I can smell the garlic on his breath. “Let Big Pat take care of it. What do you say?” I say there’s a special place in hell for people who refer to themselves in the third person. But before I can respond, Willard’s firm, sure voice travels down the hall. “I think you should back off, Nolan. Sarah’s not just ‘up for it,’ she’ll be fantastic at it.” Pat waves his hand. “Quiet, midge—the adults are talking.” And the adrenaline comes rushing back, but this time it’s not anxiety-induced—it’s anger. Indignation. I push off the wall. “Don’t call him that.” “He doesn’t mind.” “I mind.” He stares at me with something akin to surprise. Then scoffs and turns to Willard. “You always let a woman fight your battles?” I take another step forward, forcing him to move back. “You think I can’t fight a battle because I’m a woman?” “No, I think you can’t fight a battle because you’re a woman who can barely string three words together if more than two people are in the room.” I’m not hurt by the observation. For the most part, it’s true. But not this time. I smile slowly, devilishly. Suddenly, I’m Cathy Linton come to life—headstrong and proud. “There are more than two people standing here right now. And I’ve got more than three words for you: fuck off, you arrogant, self-righteous swamp donkey.” His expression is almost funny. Like he can’t decide if he’s more shocked that I know the word fuck or that I said it out loud to him—and not in the good way. Then his face hardens and he points at me. “That’s what I get for trying to help your mute arse? Have fun making a fool of yourself.” I don’t blink until he’s down the stairs and gone. Willard slow-claps as he walks down the hall to me. “Swamp donkey?” I shrug. “It just came to me.” “Impressive.” Then he bows and kisses the back of my hand. “You were magnificent.” “Not half bad, right? It felt good.” “And you didn’t blush once.” I push my dark hair out of my face, laughing self-consciously. “Seems like I forget all about being nervous when I’m defending someone else.” Willard nods. “Good. And though I hate to be the twat who points it out, there’s something else you should probably start thinking about straight away.” “What’s that?” “The presentation in front of hundreds of people.” And just like that, the tight, sickly feeling washes back over me. So this is what doomed feels like. I lean against the wall. “Oh, broccoli balls.

Soudain, il me sembla que le ciel descendait. De la terre, surgit comme une fontaine d’énergie dorée. Cette chaude énergie m’encercla, et mon corps et mon esprit devinrent très légers et très clairs. Je pouvais même comprendre le chant des petits oiseaux autour de moi. A cet instant, je pouvais comprendre que le travail de toute ma vie dans le Budo était réellement fondé sur l’amour divin et sur les lois de la création. Je ne pus retenir mes larmes, et pleurai sans retenue. Depuis ce jour, j’ai su que cette grande Terre elle-même était ma maison et mon foyer. Le soleil, la lune et les étoiles m’appartiennent. Depuis ce jour, je n’ai plus jamais ressenti aucun attachement envers la propriété et les possessions.

As she pondered that, she recalled reading a quote by a sensei of Aikido that said, “My students think I don't lose my center. That is not so; I simply recognize it sooner and get back faster.

Today, religious fanatics and scientific rejectionists flourish under the protective wing of postmodernism, claiming that theirs is just one more valid viewpoint—a form of mental aikido (using the opponent’s strength against him).

To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace” ~ Morihei Ueshiba   It

When your opponent Shows yang in his Right hand Guide him with The yin of your left hand Simply

Similar weapons used through the ages include a huge array of sticks, arrows, and javelins. In modern times you might consider an AK-47, F-35 Jets and Javelin Missiles. Though perhaps not as respected as the Asian ways, each of these weapons can be practiced by its user to a level of skill which resembles art. (Surely piloting a multimillion dollar jet fighter at supersonic speeds is at least as respectable as mastering Aikido?)

But you may consider the brave soldier Shweik to be the forefather of this system. He didn’t answer the insults of his offenders, but agreed with them. “Shweik, you are an idiot!” – He was told. He didn’t argue but agreed at once – “Yes, I’m an idiot!” and gained a victory without touching his opponent, as in aikido.

Some other people (usually those with very strong personalities, often bosses) demand unquestionable subordination at home and at work. They stop noticing a gradually growing discontent of the people depending on them. When all the means of suppression are exhausted, they notice with pain or surprise that everybody has left them. They consider themselves to be deceived.

Unlike physical combats, psychological aikido has one peculiarity. There are neither winners nor losers here, that’s the peculiarity of this psychological fight. That’s how in fighting for my own victory I simultaneously forge victory to my partner.

Train the ability to look in such a way at inanimate objects. Look carefully at an object, look as long as you can. When your gaze suddenly turns away from the object, shift it back to it. Do this exercise daily for 15–20 minutes. You will notice in some time, that your concentration has improved. Many people note that objects and people become entirely different, beautiful, and even splendid. Such a look results when you manage to relax the muscles of your face.

want to accentuate again — the essence of psychological aikido is in the ability to model your behaviour, which will naturally lead to your partner’s change in behaviour. Before communicating, you simply think what kind of verbal or behavioural answer you want to receive. After all, the answer of your partner to your question is forced. They can’t answer differently.

Psychological stroking” A.: You look perfect today! B.: Thank you for a compliment! I am glad you have noticed that. I really don’t look bad today.

This algorithm was successfully used by the women under my supervision, who were praised by the men, to whom they didn’t feel profound interest. “Thank you for the compliments. They are sincere, and you won’t wish to get into my bed after those compliments, as some men do”.

We should note that it is absolutely impossible to refuse the promotion, which your boss has offered you. After all, he is waiting for a positive answer from you. The refusal is taken as an insult. It turns out that the boss had thought badly when he made his subordinate such an offer. And I, the subordinate, understand things better than he. The promotion refusal often gives this person’s career up for lost under this boss. But if you are sure you can handle the offered position, you may extend the responsibility for you promotion to your boss. “John, thank you for the offer. Of course I accept it, though it is a bit unexpected for me, I hadn’t thought that I was ready for such a position. I must have been mistaken. You know better”.

It should be noted that a psychological aikido specialist gives his principal agreement at once. Then there comes the discussion of details. Of course, the final result must be as I want it. But after discussion it becomes clear that my refusal is connected with circumstances, and I keep good relations with the person whom I finally refused. The ground for the further cooperation remains, when the circumstances change. And if the first offer was insincere, the things clear up immediately.

By practicing slowly, you actually learn the technique better, because you do not allow momentum alone to do the work. Slow motion facilitates the firing of the neural pathway that activates the muscles used. It also helps you use only the muscles and neurons needed, leaving the others relaxed, and preventing any wasted motion.

Remember, we do not rise to the level of our expectations, but we do fall to the level of our training.

Thus, the club of psycho-preventive and psycho-correction direction was founded. We call it CROSS (Club of the Resolute to Overcome Stressful Situations). Here, people who have interpersonal problems in the family or at work, come to us for guidance. We try to help them regulate communication instead of prescribing medicine.

Above all, Reigisaho is an expression of mutual respect in person-to-person encounters, a respect for each other’s personalities, a respect which results from the martial artist’s confrontations with life-or-death situations. The culmination of the martial artist’s experience is the expression of love for all humanity. This expression of love for all of humanity is Reigisaho. The belief that each person is important functions as a filter to purify and sublimate the martial artist’s personality and dignity.

After observing O Sensei, the founder of Aikido, sparring with an accomplished fighter, a young student said to the master, “You never lose your balance. What is your secret?” “You are wrong,” O Sensei replied. “I am constantly losing my balance. My skill lies in my ability to regain it.

An hour. Not nearly enough time to lose five pounds, have a makeover and become glamorous and sophisticated. Why, oh, why hadn’t she learned French? Or aikido? Anything that would make her interesting for Jonny Blaze? She briefly wondered if aikido was the martial arts training or the dog breed, then sighed. Too late to worry about that now. As it was, she was going to be stuck being herself.

In Aikido, we train not to learn how to win; we train to learn to emerge victorious in any situation.

Le persone con lo spirito impuro, con il cuore abitato dalla violenza, hanno perso prima di cominciare.

This emphasis on the philosophy, or worldview, of aikido often makes understanding the art difficult for the beginning student. On one level, the student of aikido must adopt a worldview that accepts violence and attacks. On the other hand, aikido does not meet like with like—aikido does not retaliate with more violence and attacks. It

Ai can be translated as meaning "harmony," "unity," or "to join and become one." The concept of harmony in combat is hard for most people to comprehend. We are all used to fighting force with force, to meeting attack with resistance. The idea of meeting an attack with love and harmony appears contradictory and impossible.

What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life? Mastery by George Leonard. I first read this book 20 years ago, after reading Leonard’s Esquire article, the seed from which the book grew. Leonard wrote the book to share lessons from becoming an Aikido master teacher, despite starting practice at the advanced age of 47. I raced through its 170-plus pages in a state of almost feverish excitement, so strongly did it affirm our swimming method. The book helped me see swimming as an ideal vehicle for teaching the mastery habits and behaviors closely interwoven with our instruction in the physical techniques of swimming. I love this book because it is as good a guide as I’ve ever seen to a life well lived. A brief summary: Life is not designed to hand us success or satisfaction, but rather to present us with challenges that make us grow. Mastery is the mysterious process by which those challenges become progressively easier and more satisfying through practice. The key to that satisfaction is to reach the nirvana in which love of practice for its own sake (intrinsic) replaces the original goal (extrinsic) as our grail. The antithesis of mastery is the pursuit of quick fixes. My five steps to mastery: Choose a worthy and meaningful challenge. Seek a sensei or master teacher (like George Leonard) to help you establish the right path and priorities. Practice diligently, always striving to hone key skills and to progress incrementally toward new levels of competence. Love the plateau. All worthwhile progress occurs through brief, thrilling leaps forward followed by long stretches during which you feel you’re going nowhere. Though it seems as if we’re making no progress, we are turning new behaviors into habits. Learning continues at the cellular level . . . if you follow good practice principles. Mastery is a journey, not a destination. True masters never believe they have attained mastery. There is always more to be learned and greater skill to be developed.

I had a great deal of valuable knowledge - about genetics, computers, aikido, karate, hardware, chess, wine, cocktails, dancings, sexual positions, social protocols, and the probability of a fifty-six-game hitting streak occurring in the history of baseball. I knew so much shit and I still couldn't fix myself.

O-Sensei described his Aikido as the art of loving attack and peaceful reconciliation. ‘Attacker’ and ‘Defender’ joined together in a startling, seamless harmony that rendered violence harmless.”[38] This is the path of a true martial artist who wants to bring harmony to the world and to him or herself.

I made it my mission right then to actively model strength and capability for her — to show her that, in fact, girls do play hard — and to give her opportunities to prove to herself that she was indeed tough and strong and awesome, too.

Aikido,” my teacher had said again and again, “is the art of reconciliation. Whoever has the mind to fight has broken his connection with the universe. If you try to dominate people, you’re already defeated. We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it.

Shu-Ha-Ri is the levels of learning from Aikido. Shu-Ha-Ri means learn-detach-transcend.

Aikido is budo. The goal of aikido is the development of personal, social, and spiritual awareness, responsibility, and accountability through the discipline and practice of a martial art. Aikido, empty-handed and with weapons, is the training of the heart and mind for self-defense, if necessary, and for physical conditioning.

Aikido," my teacher had said again and again, "is the art of reconciliation. Whoever has the mind to fight has broken his connection with the universe. If you try to dominate people, you're already defeated. We study how to resolve conflict, not how to start it.

Il fisico moderno fa esperienza del mondo attraverso una specializzazione estrema della mente razionale; il mistico attraverso una specializzazione estrema della mente intuitiva. Le

Yagyu Munenori himself stresses the overcoming of ego through self-discipline in the art of swordsmanship. In a treatise known as The Household Transmission on the Art of Fighting he writes that the goal of training in the martial arts is to overcome six kinds of disease: the desire for victory, the desire to rely on technical cunning, the desire to show off, the desire to psychologically overwhelm the opponent, the desire to remain passive in order to wait for an opening and the desire to become free of these diseases.

The burning desire of the Founder in establishing aikido was to keep the most valuable legacy of budo alive in the modern world. In order to accomplish his goal he went beyond differences in outward form to grasp the essence of each martial art and to bring it to life in a new form. The motivating force was his intense spiritual quest to discover a life-giving and life-affirming philosophy in budo. The result was the transformation of the heart of budo into the heart of aikido, the way of harmony and love.

I am not suggesting that the new politics is just about sweetness and light and being nice to people. It is as important as ever to have a proper analysis of power and be prepared to confront it. But perhaps the image is not the two boxers facing up to each othe with fists and bloody noses, but he aikido skill of turning the force against itself, or of removing just the right brick from the wall so that it crumbles. This requires no less strength, courage or determination. Pg179

1.  Aikido is the Great Path that traverses the universe and its domains. It encompasses and harmonizes all things. 2.  Aikido functions in accordance with the truth received from heaven and earth. It should be the basis of all activity. 3.  Aikido is the principle of unifying heaven, earth, and humankind. 4.  Aikido allows each individual to follow a path suitable for him or her, enabling every human being to achieve harmony with the universe. 5.  Aikido is the Way of supreme, unbounded, perfect, and inexhaustible Love that binds and sustains the universe.