Aikido decides life and death in a single strike, so students must carefully follow the instructor's teaching and not compete to see who is the strongest.
Aikido is the way that teaches how one can deal with several enemies. Students must train themselves to be alert not just to the front but to all sides and the back.
Training should always be conducted in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
The instructor teaches only one small aspect of the art. Its versatile applications must be discovered by each student through incessant practice and training.
In daily practice first begin by moving your body and then progress to more intensive practice. Never force anything unnaturally or unreasonably. If this rule is followed, then even elderly people will not hurt themselves and they can train in a pleasant and joyful atmosphere.
The purpose of aikido is to train mind and body and to produce sincere, earnest people. Since all techniques are to be transmitted person-to-person, do not randomly reveal them to others, for this might lead to their being used by hoodlums.
Morihei Ueshiba (ca.1935)
If you think practicing aikido is hard work, try eating all morning.
Morihei Ueshiba
Aikido is the way of nonresistance and is therefore undefeatable from the start. Fast and slow are of no consequence. Merely by having the intention to fight with one who embodies the universal law, they have fixed their mind on violating the harmony of nature itself. The person with evil or malicious feeling jyaki is defeated before he makes the first move. The contest has already been decided.
This being so, in what way can we rid ourselves of this jyaki and become pure of spirit and mind? We must unify our mind and feeling with the mercy and compassion of the universal spirit. Withing love ai, there is no competition, no enemy, no antagonism toward anyone else or anything. Those whose feeling does not coincide with this mentality can in no way come into harmony the laws of nature.
Morihei Ueshiba From The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido by William Gleason 1995.
Ten Rules For Daily Life
1/ Have Universal Mind
2/ Love all creation
3/ Be grateful
4/ Do good in secret
5/ Have merciful eyes and a gentle body
6/ Be forgiving and big hearted
7/ Think deep and judge well
8/ Be calm and determined
9/ Be positive and vigorous
10/ Persevere
Power of mind is infinite while brawn is limited.
The very name Aikido indicates its dependence on the laws of nature, which we term Ki. Aikido means the way to harmony with Ki. That is to say, Aikido is a discipline to make the heart of nature our own heart, to understand love for all things, and to become one with nature. Techniques and physical strength have limits; the great way of the universal stretches to infinity.
To follow the path:
look to the master,
follow the master,
walk with the master,
see through the master,
become the master.