Saotome Mitsugi, Ikeda Hiroshi. Aikikai Training Handbook

Aikido World Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan. — 2008.. — 17 p. Electronic edition. —
Authors: Mitsugi Saotome Shihan & Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan.
Ai – Harmony, unity; to be in accord with or to join.
Ki – Spirit; life force or universal creative energy.
Do – The way or path.
The movement of Aikido is the dynamic movement of the universal energy forces. The power of Aikido is the power of a strong and unified spirit, mind and body moving in harmony with everything around it. Its origin is Budo. Its development is the result of two thousand years of a cultural process of change and refinement, a continuing martial contest of natural selection. It is an evolution etched in blood.
The study of Budo and the development of Aikido was the life work of Morihei Ueshiba, a figure of
great renown who traveled the length and breadth of Japan studying under the greatest masters of many arts.
Hard work, severe discipline and all the money he could earn were poured into his mastery of the sword, the
spear and the arts of self defense. Deeply interest in the study of spiritual thought, he had also practiced many different spiritual disciplines. Yet he was unable to unite his spiritual beliefs with his physical accomplishments.
A short time after returning from military action in the Russo-Japanese War, he retired to a small house located on a mountain outside his village.There he lived and studied silently; his days spent training his body and his nights spent deep in prayer. It was at the end of this time of severe training that he had the realization he had been seeking all his life. At that moment nature’s process became clear and he knew that
the source of Budo is the spirit of protection of all things.
“Budo is not felling the opponent by force; nor is it a tool to lead the world into destruction
by arms. True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature.”