Thread: Art of Peace ?
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Old 07-25-2006, 05:27 AM   #7
Gernot Hassenpflug
Dojo: Aunkai, Tokyo
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 319
Japan
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Re: Art of Peace ?

Hello all on this peaceful thread,

I have a couple of English language books on Aikido lying around my apartment, including Stevens' "Aikido - The Way of Harmony". Together with the mention of Aikido as "Way of Peace" allegedly by Stevens according to the posts above, this reminds me of what Abe Seiseki writes for visitors: Aikido is "wagou" (和合), or "unification" (the characters can be interpreted as those for "Peace" and "Harmony", but "wagou" is a concept on its own).

In 規範合気道基本集 by Ueshiba Kisshomaru and Moriteru et al, published by the Aikikai themselves, Ueshiba Morihei is quoted on p.10 as saying "私は今まで各流儀を多数やりました。柳生流の体術をはじめ、真揚流、起倒流、大東流、神陰流などいろいろやりましたが、合気はそれらを総合したものではないのであります 。合気はすべて気によるものであります。" My attempt at translation goes as follows: "I've done numerous different styles, starting with Yagyu and including Shinyou, Kitou, Daitou, Shinkage and others. Aiki is not the conglomeration of these styles. Applying all things from Ki, that is Aiki." This begs the question of what "Ki" meant for Ueshiba Morihei (or rather, what he intended to express by using the word "ki"), firstly in the martial sense.

Regards,
Gernot
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