Morihei Ueshiba was the founder of Aikido, which can be translated as “The Art of Peace.” Morihei Ueshiba is referred to by the practitioners of Aikido as O-Sensei, “The Great Teacher”. He is the epitome of a true martial arts philosophy. I was blessed to be introduced to his wisdom during a period of my life where there were choices of extreme contrast to be made that would define my legacy. I had an innate sense of the love he embodied, and promoted, yet I was without the means, or courage to apply it . Once “The Great Teacher ” came into my life I had just enough support to summon that, previously, undeveloped courage and made a habit of making choices that supported peace, love, and humanity.  Aikido is a supreme example of applied physical culture in pursuit of self realization, and servitude of humanity.

Aikido is a martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba that emphasizes harmonizing with an attacker. Aikido is practiced by young and old, holds no competitions, and can be incorporated into your daily life. Morihei Ueshiba had clear views on how aikido should be practiced; on other subjects O-Sensei was more subtle and there is a strong tradition of aikido philosophy.

Morihei Ueshiba was the founder of Aikido, which can be translated as “The Art of Peace.” Morihei Ueshiba is referred to by the practitioners of Aikido as O-Sensei, “The Great Teacher”. The following quotations from the Art of Peace have been compiled from O-Sensei’s collected talks, poems, and calligraphy, and from oral tradition. http://www.jinshinkan.searaven.org/

Blue Collar Zen refers to energy as the barometer of health and performance ability. I was introduced to Ki, sometimes known as Chi, or Qi, as a teenager. Its definition can be elusive to the western perspective. It could be said it is the synergistic force of your integrated body, mind, spirit cultivation. The cultivation of Ki for the sake of benevolence, and harmony is the goal of martial arts, far from the, at times, perceived, mystical super hero. The following is a very good explanation of Ki:

Balanced Practice of Body, Mind and Ki

By Rod Kobayashi

We must emphasize a balanced training of mind, body and ki. Always remember that the right attitude towards life leads to efficiency and harmony. One-sided training will create a lopsided person.

Training the mind alone disassociates the mind from the body; the mind will be calm, but the body will be empty. The techniques might look smooth and beautiful, but will be ineffective and unrealistic for self-defense.

Over-emphasis on physical training may also lead to embarrassing and dangerous situations. We have physical limits and there will always be someone stronger or faster. Relying on physical strength can lead to dependence on brute force. Using excessive force to control others could injure them when successful and yourself when unsuccessful. Finally, there is always a tendency for collision when physical strength is not controlled.

Developing your ki or “inner force” is very important. However, we must be very careful about the proper use of ki. Merely training to develop strong ki can lead to haughtiness, and eventually, that person will encounter someone who controls his/her ki more efficiently. Over-exerting your ki can be dangerous to your health. Ki is your life force, and you need it to sustain your life. Needlessly extending your ki can lower your immunity against sickness. With proper training, one learns that very little ki is needed to harmonize with and control an attacker. O-Sensei emphasized ki no myoyo o tadashiku ”the proper usage of the mysterious power of ki”.

Use your ki in moderation and use it to bind your mind and body together for a harmonious way of life. Training the mind, body and ki simultaneously to harmonize with the ki of the universe is the true path of aiki.