A concept made up of Ai (to fit, to suit, to match, to make two things coincide) and Ki (an invisible movement, an unseen force, spirit), it is a multi-inclusive term relating embracing things like stance, attitude, heart, mind, spirit, tolerance, flexibility and intuition and many others which avoid all physical strength in order to prevent violence and aggression, although it emerges from a good physical and spiritual posture, and a clear direction in our life -it has positive impulse as its driving force. Ki is the chained relation between three elements: mirror (reflection), sphere (perfection), and sword (substance). As Kurita Shihan states Ki is “the combination of both Kokoro (heart, will) and the work done to reach the specific goal of life growth.

It refers to the formula developed by Morihei Ueshiba (Kaiso Sensei) embracing unity, confluence, and harmony; an order where everything is in its right place, a universal order. Aiki is arrangement, togetherness and correspondence and it is through the way of Aiki –Aikido– that humanity may gain insight on how to reflect that order in their lives and communities. According to his ideal –which is transmitted by his former Uchideshi (live-in students) such as Yutaka Kurita (Shihan) –Aiki teaches how to help ourselves by reaching harmony with others, overcoming our egos and hence becoming stronger.

Aiki is “medicine for our sick world” (M. Ueshiba) and it was developed to help people overcome the problems, personal ghosts and weaknesses of humanity (fear, insecurity, selfishness, intolerance and many more). Aiki-do (“the way of unity, confluence and harmony”) changes the 1 + 1 = 2 paradigm  for both 1+1 = 1 or 1+1 = 0.

Only the Aiki formula gives “a way to make a friend from a foe”, a pragmatic philosophy that once put into practice will allow people to learn in the civilization they have been able to create, a basic meaning of Budo.

Aiki helps intuition (the main product of our right brain hemisphere), which has been numbed by traditional thinking, as a result of our excessive dependence on logic and technology. Aiki practice provides a means to put an end to “our enemies”, an intolerable concept in our contemporary and interdependent world. Its goal is to achieve the best in us, to heal ourselves in order to help us overcome our fears and face our crisis.

AIKI-DO

Aikido is a system we can define as:

The way, discipline and experience (Do) used to reach the necessary harmony, conjunction and confluence (Aiki) between our spirit and our will (Ki) so that such spirit and will (Ki) echoes that of the Universe. It is a path to help ourselves and others in unity, confluence and harmony.

Learning Aikido means to follow the ideals and heart of Kaiso Sensei, a goal and mission in Kurita Juku Aiki {which is to understand Aiki through correct practice so as to be able to develop an Aiki culture beyond the superficial level of mere technique} so as to “suit the action to the word, and the word to the action” (W. Shakespeare).  

The original Aikido objective is not to make great fighters, but specialists in the application of Aiki (its philosophy, principles, values and beliefs). In order to do so, techniques can be adapted so that any one can use them easily and without any risks, as a means (path) to understand things from a new perspective. In this way Aiki practitioners have a discipline that allows them to holistically explore their own being.

As some other personal development systems its forms help us develop both emotional and intuitive intelligence, dexterity, virtues and formation of habits as well as a host of other benefits and values of extreme actual interest in our contemporary world. As recently taught by Kurita Yutaka Shihan, Aiki techniques make both brain hemispheres work together -- the right side of our brain (the intuitive one) is used first, so every technique is practiced using our left hand first thus helping us to develop our intuition.