The article below by Ellis Amdur has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.
In the 1920′s Morihei Ueshiba Sensei taught his martial art to a group of high-ranking military officers, among whom was Admiral Isamu Takeshita. Some years ago, I spoke with Masao Muto Sensei, a noted kobudo teacher and researcher of Japanese martial history, who possessed a copy of Admiral Takeshita’s diary of his training sessions. According to Muto Sensei among Ueshiba Sensei’s statements quoted in this diary was the following: “Aiki is a means of achieving harmony with another person so that you can make them do what you want.”
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Bless Terry Dobson. Don’t know how unavailable his old book “Giving In To Get Your Way” is, but I heartily recommend it.
You have to realize that a lot of the statements from the founder are from a different point of view, and until you understand that point of view .. you won’t understand what the statement is meant to be.
Reminds me of a recent interview by Sylvester Stallone being asked what he thought about the dissection of his new movie The Expendables as to how it had so many different undertones to how it was written .. to which he replied .. it was just supposed to be good guys, maybe not so good, against bad guys, with lots of shoot-em-up and action .. no more .. no less.
Sometimes .. ya just read too much into the simplest of statements or what you see and get lost in the psycho-babble.
Just a thought … figure out what point of view the statement was made from and maybe .. you will begin to understand what the words were supposed to mean ..