The article below 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.
It was at about this time, at the age of 17, that the Founder became involved in the “Sulfur Affair,” a movement by the hard-pressed local fisherman to protest the grievances they were suffering from the harsh and sometimes corruptly inequitable enforcement of a strict new “Fishing Industry Law.” Filled with sympathy for the fishermen and with indignation at the fact that some of the wealthiest fishermen were using political influence to block the licensing of their poorer competitors, the Founder disregarded his own interests, as he often did later in life when moved by a principle. He quit his job at the tax office to work on the protest movement, which he pursued with great boldness.
“How do new techniques evolve? I see techniques evolving two different ways; firstly, they can be designed through the process of intellect; that is, we can deliberately build them, correcting and modifying as we go – or they can be stumbled upon and evolve through what I call the process of ‘happy accident’.
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The article below has been selected from the 
“The first and most important step in applying a throwing technique [ideally: any technique] is to first employ kuzushi. Usually, I would explain kuzushi as ‘unbalancing’, but delving a little deeper we find that kuzushi derives from the verb kuzusu, meaning ‘to level, pull down, or demolish’.”
“As with golf, tennis, or any other activity which requires using a stick-like object, your grip is one of the most important features.
The article below by Dr. Peter Goldsbury has been selected from the 
“The government’s bid to make the martial art compulsory in schools has alarmed parents.
Budo training is research, not performance.
“This is a little video we produced a few years ago at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC), Hohenfels, Germany to match the script that was developed to introduce Level I Combatives and Martial Arts training to new students. The script was written and composed by Matt Larsen, director and founder of the Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP).
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The article below has been selected from the 
“There is little else as divisive in Aikido as the hakama.