The physical manifestations of aikido technique mirror the "off the mat" lessons that aikido has taught me. It's taught me to go along with someone long enough for them to realize their mistake, rather than being argumentive from the beginning (tenkan). Aikido has taught me to face my problems and to "enter without fear" (irimi). The concept of sensitivity, knowing when enough is enough, is not only useful when applying torque to my training partner's wrist. It also helps me to decide when to speak or act during a tense exchange. By the use of the word "spiritual" in this thread, I think they refer to how aikido improves us. What have we learned, besides how to move our hands and feet?
