MM

Just a theory ...

What if Ueshiba empowered the Chinkon Kishin rather than the other way around. What if there were spiritual exercises in Oomoto kyo, but they were practiced as normal, spiritual exercises. In other words, not very martial at all. So, here comes Ueshiba who has a martial background and is learning solo exercises from Takeda. Ueshiba is working on building this "secret of aiki" as he put it. And then, some time after meeting Deguchi, Ueshiba realizes that he can incorporate the very basis/foundation that these solo exercises work on in his body -- in effect, he can incorporate them into the Chinkon Kishin. And thus, Ueshiba the spiritual martial artist is born.

It would explain how Ueshiba went off on his own tangent with researching these skills (as other students of Takeda did). It would explain why Deguchi's followers never attained mastery in these skills as Takeda's students did. And it would explain Ueshiba's views on kami, uniting with the universe, etc, all the while explaining why he was so powerful.

Mark