"Doing Aikido" was my first book on aikido, based on practicing for twenty four years and teaching for twenty. I wrote it because I could not find a book that covered the material I wanted my students to know - students in the middle kyu grades, particularly for my wife. I wanted something that presented the information in a clear and straightforward way, without a lot of the esoteric ideas I saw in other books.
There are as many ways of doing aikido as there are teachers. This book is based on the way I teach it, which has worked for many students over the years. I firmly believe that aikido is a martial art, a practical method of self defense. O Sensei certainly taught a practical art. However, excessive violence creates its own problems, both causing early retirement from practicing and driving away students.
To my mind, aikido is not a religion. Nor is it mystical. There are mental and spiritual disciplines in the art, as well as physical ones. "Ki" is a term often used in the West in connection with aikido, often to describe poorly understood, hard to communicate concepts that relate to all three aspects of aikido. All are important but not mystical.
In revising the book for the second edition, almost twenty years later, I still agree with most of what is written. I have eliminated a few pieces that I didn't agree with, and clarified others.
There are as many ways of doing aikido as there are teachers. This book is based on the way I teach it, which has worked for many students over the years. I firmly believe that aikido is a martial art, a practical method of self defense. O Sensei certainly taught a practical art. However, excessive violence creates its own problems, both causing early retirement from practicing and driving away students.
To my mind, aikido is not a religion. Nor is it mystical. There are mental and spiritual disciplines in the art, as well as physical ones. "Ki" is a term often used in the West in connection with aikido, often to describe poorly understood, hard to communicate concepts that relate to all three aspects of aikido. All are important but not mystical.
In revising the book for the second edition, almost twenty years later, I still agree with most of what is written. I have eliminated a few pieces that I didn't agree with, and clarified others.
