Review
"... excellent educational tool into the study of Aikido, its principles, lifestyles, roots, and philosophy behind Aikido, the martial art." --
Cheryl Matrasko, Aikido World"Highly recommended for undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals and practitioners." --
Choice"The revelation of this book is that Aikido philosophy is a philosophy of life."--Henry Hirai, The East --
The East, Vol. XXXVII No. 1
From the Publisher
An Online Interview with the Author
What motivated you to write this book?
"I have done three books on Aikido for Kodansha International. The first was a translation of Budo, a technical manual by Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido. The second was The Essence of Aikido, a compilation of Master Ueshiba's spiritual teachings. In both these books, I was very careful to translate Master Ueshiba's teachings as literally and objectively as possible. In The Philosophy of Aikido, however, I present my own views on Aikido, based on my experiences practicing and teaching Aikido both in Japan (where I have lived since 1973) and in many different parts in the rest of the world. We have entered the age of the Global Village, and there is really no 'east' or 'west' anymore. Even in Japan, the birthplace of Aikido, there are a number of non-Japanese Aikido instructors. Aikido is becoming an important element of international culture, and Aikido principles--harmony, integration, cooperation, non-violence--are just what the world needs in the 21st century."
Could you tell us something about the contents of the book?
"The book has two parts: I. Theory 11. Practice. Part I presents the essential principles of Aikido, and how those principles parallel teachings found in Western philosophy, world religions, aesthetics, and scientific thought. Chapters include 'Aikido and Nature,' 'Aikido as Tantra,' 'Aikido and Art,' and 'Aikido and Global Society.' Part II is not a technical manual but rather a visual portrayal of Aikido in action, illustrated with many different kinds of photographs."
Why is the book important?
"I believe that this is the first book on Aikido written from an 'international perspective.' It does not present Aikido as a 'Japanese martial art' or as a kind of 'Oriental mysticism.' It shows that Aikido is a dynamic philosophy that can be applied anywhere, to all kinds of problems, and that its message is universal. In Aikido, we do not look for the things that are different; we look for things that are the same. Aikido philosophy helps us tie things together, to place things in their proper perspective, to live in harmony with our fellow human beings and nature."
