Welcome to the Aiki-Aikido blog

This blog is about Aikido, the way with Aiki.

In this blog I will talk about Aikido, the way with Aiki, in which the principle of non-resistance is seen as the core principle of Aiki. I will talk about how I came to find out about this Aiki by presenting the points and lines of thought that led me here. This Aiki completely changed my way of thinking and looking at Aikido.

 

"This Aiki completely changed
my way of thinking
and looking at Aikido"

 

At first I started this blog to get my thoughts about Aiki and Aikido sorted and organized. Then I thought that this maybe might also be of some interest to my students and maybe also to other persons as well. I strongly believe this Aiki to take a part of great importance in the Aikido of the founder of Aikido, O-Sensei 1 Morihei Ueshiba 2 .

In contrast to the blog's catchy title, I'll not try to give objective explanations on Aiki or Aikido as it was seen by the founder. To do so, I leave it to the experts before me and after me. Of course the only person really being entitled to explain about the founder's Aiki and his Aikido would be the founder himself. And indeed, he did give a lot of explanations, as we will come to see a bit later on.

But this blog can and will only represent my personal views on the subject, based on my personal experience and understanding based on the points and facts presented as known to me. Although everything looks pretty consistent to me right now, there might be flaws in the logic of my thinking. Anyone to point those out is highly welcome to do so.

Anyway, since I came to this realization about this Aiki, Aikido to me, is a truly wonderful training method to find out about this Aiki, to experience this Aiki and to express this Aiki in action, in life, on and off the mats. To express Aiki in your own action and thinking gives joy and also peace as it takes away a lot of the anxiousness and unrest in our life.

 

"Aikido to me is a truly
wonderful training method
to find out about this Aiki"

 

To have come to my current understanding of this Aiki has taken me more than three decades of Aikido training. Although this Aiki can't be transmitted or taught directly, it is also thanks to my teachers teachings, their methods of practice and by letting me feel their techniques which made me think about things and made me do the actual work which brought me here. The realization about this Aiki came in at just one particular moment while being in a training session at the dojo, it kind of just hit me mid-technique. Ever since then my Aikido practice is only meant to continuously refining my Aikido techniques with this Aiki and to deepen my understanding of this Aiki and by teaching classes to pass on the suitable methods to enable my students to experience and to find out about this Aiki as well.

Nevertheless it sometimes still makes me wonder how is it that I would have come to this understanding and where would I have to place all of this. Well, even if this all means a great deal to me, it doesn't has to mean anything to anybody else. Yes, it is just what it is. Then again, looking at the videos available showing the Aikido of O-Sensei and also reading the founders explanations on his Aiki and his Aikido, I tend to think that things match pretty well. 

Of course, I can only relay on my own experience, since I have never felt the Aikido of O-Sensei. So in a way I can't really know about his Aiki and his Aikido. But from his explanations and from what can be seen, and more particular from what can't so much be seen and found in the Aikido of O-Sensei, to me, having my understanding as it is right now, it's looks like O-Sensei mostly always used this kind of Aiki in his Aikido, before the war and also after the war. 

"O-Sensei mostly always used
this kind of Aiki in his Aikido"

Ok, before I go on, I'd like you to know that this blog is not about saying that this or that Aikido is better than or superior to this or that other Aikido. Aikido can be many different and wonderful things. All of those different ways may very well be perfectly fine and fit the means, depending on what the means are, of course. 

So then, well, if Aiki in Aikido really is more akin to what I think it's supposed to be according to O-Sensei's explanations, the one of question that still has me pondering: is martial excellence the one and only thing to look for in Aikido? Thinking about it, I'd say "No", because there's more to it.

 

"Aikido is budo,
Aikido is love"

 

O-Sensei clearly states that Aikido is budo. He also states that Aikido is harmony and Aikido is Love. This really sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? Though if it isn't, then what kind of budo is O-Sensei talking about and referring to? By thinking more deeply about O-Sensei's explanations on his art and also about his explanations on his understanding of budo, at least some aspects of his art may become more understandable. I think, to understand the Aikido of O-Sensei we not only need to study the techniques of his Aikido, but indeed, we also need to study carefully what he had to say about his art.

All I am doing here with this blog is to offer some insights into my personal journey based on my personal experiences. All of which perhaps represents a maybe lesser noticed perspective or way to look at Aiki and Aikido. No less, it's a way which, since I realized about this Aiki, I'm absolutely intrigued about.

 

"it's a way which,
since I realized about this Aiki;
I'm absolutely intrigued about" 

 

Although Aikido to me, also does have deep philosophical and spiritual aspects in it, according to my experience so far, Aikido can only be understood through our very own body-experience, our very own perception. Real understanding in any body art, such as Aikido, I reckon, is based on real body experience. A real understanding  can not be gained, when based on theories and thought constructs alone. Once the body understands, the mind will be able to follow and understand as well. This, I reason, leads to real understanding. The Aikido techniques as given by the founder allow us to physically experience and understand not only the bodily concepts of the art but also the spiritual and philosophical aspects too.

My name is Igor 3 and I started on this Aikido journey in the early nineties without having the slightest idea where this would lead me to. But then again, it has brought me to where I stand right now. So to everyone who's curious and interested, I'm happy to share my experience and my thoughts.

 

Please enjoy!!
Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts.
Please always be respectful in your comments.

1  O-Sensei = jap.: great teacher 
2  Morihei Ueshiba (1883 - 1969), founder of Aikido
3  Igor Drieghe: Author of this Blog. Started Aikido in the early 90's. Currently holds a 5th Dan (Aikikai) in Aikido.

Page first published on 05.09.2023
Page last updated on 09.04.2025

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Disclaimer: everything presented in this post only represents my personal opinions based on my personal  knowledge, understanding and experiences made regarding the matter in discussion except where quotes are made. Other opinions are highly respected as long as they can withstand the argumentation. Some of the points presented may be purely speculative on my side due to the lack of evidence known to me. Any evidence presented to help clarify the points in question is highly welcomed. The post may still undergo little changes, although the content will mainly remain the same.

Notes on Copyrights: Neither text or parts of the text may be used or published elsewhere without the consent of the author. It is OK though to quote with correct references made to this text.
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