WHAT IS AIKIDO?

 Aikido principals hold that the mind and body are one. When a person acts in this concerted manner, great power is possible. By joining with the motion of an attack and taking control of its force, it’s possible to redirect the power of the attack safely and effectively.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that is non competitive and non violent. It is not fighting. It is called the art of peace and translated means “the way of harmony”. There are two sides of Aikido, the art of giving “throwing” Nage (na-gay) and the art of receiving “rolling/falling” Uke (ooh-kay). It is essential that the practitioner develop both sides of the art for a full understanding.
 

WORDS OF THE FOUNDER
As ai (harmony) is common with ai (love), I decided to name my
unique budo "Aikido:' although the word aiki" is an old one. The
word as it was used by the warriors in the past is fundamentally different
from nUne.
Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat the enemy. It is the
way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.
The secret of Aikido is to harmonize ourselves with the movement
of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself.
He who has gained the secret of Aikido has the universe in himself
and can say, ""I am the universe."
I am never defeated, however fast the enemy may attack. It is not
because my technique is faster than that of the enemy. It is not a
question of speed. The fight is finished before it is begun.
When an enemy tries to fight with me, the universe itself, he has to
break the harmony of the universe. Hence at the moment he has the
mind to fight with me, he is already defeated. There exists no measure
of time - fast or slow.
Aikido is non-resistance. As it is non-resistant, it is always victorious.
Those who have a warped mind, a mind of discord, have been defeated
from the beginning.
Then, how can you straighten your warped mind, purify your heart,
and be harmonized with the activities of all things in Nature? You
should first make God's heart yours_ It is a Great Love, Omnipresent
in all quarters and in all times of the universe. There is no discord in
love. There is no enemy of love." A mind of discord, thinking of the
existence of an enemy, is no longer consistent with the will of God.

I am calm however and whenever I am attacked. I have no attachment
to life or death. I leave everything as it is to God. Be apart from attachment
to life and death and have a mind which leaves everything to Him,
not only when you are being attacked but also in your daily lives.
True budo is a work of love. It is a work of giving life to all beings, and
not killing or struggling with each other. Love is the guardian deity of
everything. Nothing can exist without it. Aikido is the realization of
love.
I do not make a companion of men. Whom, then, do I make a companion
of? God. This world is not going well because people make
companions of each other, saying and doing foolish things. Good and
evil beings are all one united family in the world. Aikido leaves out
any attachment; Aikido does not call relative affairs good or evil.
Aikido keeps all beings in constant growth and development and serves
for the completion of the universe.
In Aikido we control the opponent's mind before we face him. That is
we draw him into ourselves. We go forward in life with this attraction
of our spirit, and attempt to command a whole view of the world.
We ceaselessly pray that fights should not occur. For this reason we
strictly prohibit matches in Aikido. Aikido's spirit is that of loving
attack and that of peaceful reconciliation. In this aim we bind and
unite the opponents with the will power of love. By love we are able
to purify others.
Understand Aikido first as budo and then as a way of service to construct
the World Family. Aikido is not for a single country or anyone in
particu1ar. Its only purpose is to perform the work of God.
True budo is the loving protection of all beings with a spirit of reconciliation.
Reconciliation means to allow the completion of everyone's
mission.

Those who do not agree with this cannot be in harmony with the
universe. Their budo is that of destruction. It is not constructive budo.
Therefore to compete in techniques, winning and losing, is not true
budo. True budo knows no defeat. "Never defeated" means "never
fighting:'
Winning means winning over the mind of discord in yourse1f. This is
to accomplish your bestowed mission.
This is not mere theory. You practice it. Then you will accept the
great power of oneness with Nature.
Don't look at the opponent's eyes, or your mind will be drawn into
his eyes. Don't look at his sword, or you will be slain with his sword.
Don't look at him, or your spirit will be distracted, True budo is the
cultivation of attraction with which to draw the whole opponent to
you. All I have to do is to keep standing this way.
Even standing with my back toward the opponent is enough. When he
attacks, hitting, he will injure himself with his own intention to hit.
I am one with the universe and I am nothing else. When I stand, he
wll be drawn to me. There is no time and space before Ueshiba of
Aikido - only the universe as it is.
There is no enemy for Ueshiba of Aikido. You are mistaken if you
think that budo means to have opponents and enemies and to be
strong and fell them, There are neither opponents~ nor enemies for
true budo. True budo is. to be one with the universe; that is, to be
united with the Center of the universe.
A mind to serve for the peace of all human beings in the world is
needed in Aikido, and not the mind of one who wishes to be strong or
who practices only to fell an opponent.
When anybody asks if my Aiki budo principles are taken from religion,
I say, "No." My true budo principles enlighten religions and lead them
to completion.

The "Way" means to be one with the Will of God and partake it. If
we are even slightly apart from it, it is no longer the Way_
We can say that Aikido is a way to sweep away devils with the sincerity
of our BREATH instead of a sword. That is to say. to turn the devil.
minded world into the World of Spirit. This is the mission of Aikido.
"the devil minded will go down in defeat and the Spirit rise up in victory.
Then Aikido will bear fruit in this world.
Without budo a nation goes to ruin. because budo is the life of loving
protection and the source of the activities of science.
Those who seek to study Aikido should open their minds. listen to the
sincerity of God through Aiki. and practice it. You should understand
the great ablution of Aiki. practice it and improve without hindrance.
Willingly begin the cultivation of your spirit.
I want considerate people to listen to the voice of Aikido. It is not for
correcting others; it is for correcting your own mind. This is Aikido.
This is the mission of Aikido and this should be your mission.