Well, but let's say you can control yourself beautifully...but you have no strength?

I remember discussing violence with some aikido students once and a guy proffered: "Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose."

However, deep reds and blacks are the colors of facts.

Make no mistake, when it comes down to red and black, budo is intended to produce people who can stop the violence. We can be philosophical and say, "That means stop the violence within our own hearts." And that, too, is true, on an abstract level, but if you have to run while saying it because you can't stop the other person who is being seriously violent...it's not budo. And aikido is budo. It develops power, and not unconsciously or unintentionally or accidentally. And if you deny the need to develop power in aikido, then what you're doing is not aikido.

Best wishes.

David