Cady Goldfield

George, with all due respect, I shall repeat the second sentence of my first paragraph, which you seem to have missed: And wouldn't such an ability allow one to practice Aikido in the spirit of peace, without causing harm, without violence, as Ueshiba had intended?

It just seems more and more to me that the route to peace prescribed by Ueshiba was/is within those kokyu methods. One can choose whether to use them in fighting, or for something utterly non-aggressive. To just stand there and let an attacker wear himself out... how is that a fighting technique? These internal aspects, as others have explained on these forums earlier, are not in themselves "technique," but (here come those dirty words again...) baseline skills upon which technique may be built and powered. They are a way of being, breathing and moving, and how one uses them is left to choice once those skills are mastered: for peaceful non-aggressiveness, or for fighting. Ueshiba chose the former as his expression of this form of internal power.

Why wouldn't this be compatible with opening one's heart, and of embracing a set of values centered on harmony, peace and non-violent resolution of conflict? The caveat is that we can really be truly peaceful, compassionate and merciful only through a position of strength. No one can bargain freely from a position of weakness. The power to bargain lies in the hands of the person who has the underlying ability to stand for himself. Having the strengths that Ueshiba had, puts human beings in the position of being everything that you wish Aikido and Aikidoka to be! And you never have to harm a single soul.