Don’t be attracted only to powerful techniques within a martial art you do see, but more in the peaceful path of what you don’t see.

It is not aggression from the martial artist that you should fear! It’s the calm from the lack of aggression you should fear the most.

Look for a Sensei that can inspire you to search beyond technique. The longer you study the martial arts, clearer will be your understanding within the applied techniques.

Compassion is a powerful word. In it contains all of what is martial and what is art. Yet without the years in its study one may not come to understand its true meaning.

Be more attracted to the less aggressive side within the martial arts, control without destruction is the key.

To show compassion is one of the highest values. Strive within your martial art to make this your priority.

Do not view martial arts as mere self-defence! You could miss out on so much more they offer.

A martial artist should always train the mind as well as the body, but not always moving in synchronization.

To view one as an enemy is to see ourselves without having any wrong.

We are all of this earth, do not fight or lay greed. The earth is plentiful if we can all learn to share it.

To hate or to not hate an enemy! It starts within your mind! Train to see all from the same perspective.

As there are opposites such as, positive and negative, yin and yang, war and peace. We should always strive to seek the art of peace.

To understand Aikido’s many layers-consistency is the “ki”

Aikido is a means of self-correction of Intention through reflection.

To train a life time acquiring skills of self-defence only to seek retribution in the destruction of others becomes a wasted journey; a path of self-destruction.

You can own a sword, display a sword or collect to sell swords. But the way of the samurai sword is only revealed to the user.

Your brain doesn’t always understand what your eyes see. Training is the only option to unlock the many facets to the martial arts.

The pursuit of powerful aggression within martial arts are the most often sought. This only creates more distance from one another and will never be the answer. Seek the pathless path in your journey and all will become clear in time.

Why do we bear arms at the slightest miscommunication? Our relationship with our ego craves always to be right.

Respect should always be offered to the opponent first. Often this can lead an attitude of dis-harmony into a peaceful resolution.

There are constant messages guiding our paths through life. To hear we must stop our busy lives a moment and listen.

Treat others in the way you would like to be treated and a harmony shall exist.

Everyone seeks some form of appreciation. Strive to offer appreciation whenever possible and you will create a peaceful wake wherever you go.

To seek the path of ego within the martial arts will seed jealousy and corruption.

The ultimate goal of Aikido attained is seeing yourself and the world through eyes that are non-confrontational.

A martial artist should not be measured on their ability to hurt or destroy an enemy but how they can change aggression into the art of peace.

Within the martial arts, while competition in the form of sport exists, the art of Budo, a way of love may never be truly understood.

Martial arts should not be a platform for displaying the ego. Methods that do can lead one down a wrong path.

Training in a martial art has no end, just a beginning.

To live only in today or the past leaves no room for tomorrow.

To overcome fear one must have lived with fear.

It takes greater courage to lead by truth than to lead with fear and deception.

To win over an enemy with love is a far greater reward than to conquer the enemy with hate.

To care for others is the real martial art. To not care shows a disregard for yourself and the universe.

After a life time study in martial arts you may come to the realization that fighting or not fighting, is really the same.

Why do we study a lifetime of fighting within the martial arts? To seek a peaceful path to enlightenment.

Without some form of understanding of “ki”, the brain will always interpret technique from a physical perspective.

The use of aggression for the martial artist is to cover up there anger and or fear. This contributes to their miss-understanding to truly know themselves.

The enlightened martial artist sees no enemy but the one within.

Martial Arts should not focus entirely on the destruction of an enemy but in ways it can strive to embrace the enemy.

The true martial artist has a caring spirit that sees all as one.

Those who only seek destruction within the martial arts are disconnected to themselves and all fragile life.

Love never destroys; hate in itself bears the scars of countless battles.

It’s less important how strong others see you. And far more important in the strength you see in yourself.

To understand compassion one must first live compassionately.

To have no compassion in your martial art, shows a cover up of our most natural instinct; “fear”.

If you study the martial arts with aggression and malice this will eventually bring you to view the world from a fearful place.

Why is there so much energy given to the art of war? The art of peace requires so little!

To defeat an enemy with compassion over aggression will take great understanding. Introduce this as a part of your life’s philosophy.

Martial arts are not studied to enhance aggression, but to train the spirit to reveal flaws for ones own self correction.

To hate is to know love. Strive to love over hate, if we are all to survive.

Learning to receive holds like nikkyo, sankyo, kotegashi etc. Is the study of extending ki out of an arm that is constantly flexible.

Uke’s part in trying to hold nage with strength within the technique, teaches spiritual & physical flexibility.

The study of being held strong reinforces & teaches Koichi Tohei’s 4 principles of Aikido.

1. • Relax completely (Physical)
   • Keep one point (Spiritual)
   • keep weight underside (Physical)
   • Extend ki (Spiritual)

There really are no throws in Aikido only the art of leading your partners ki with your ki in a unified direction. Anything other than this opposes harmony and will inevitably be a throw.

Learning to be soft when intimidated is the key to progress. If the ego will not yield to the attackers physical aggression a conflict of the physical to co-exist takes place. This restricts the true concepts of Aikido to be realised.

The study of one’s posture within Aikido is as much spiritual as it is physical.

Have patience while walking the path of Aikido there really is no final destination. Study sincerely in the moment for today is what matters. Tomorrow will come all too soon. Reflect in the journey this is the ultimate goal.

All techniques must blend with your partner. If felt by their physical they will be resisted by their physical.

With shomen uchi ikkyo don’t meet at the top – the person may perceive this as you defending and change the attack.

In ikkyo the hand on the elbow must travel in the same direction as the hand on the wrist.

While performing the shomen uchi Ikkyo technique you must enter in first then raise your arms, not raise your arms then enter in.

When performing Nikkyo to the wrist, enter and then apply the pressure to the wrist, don’t apply pressure to the wrist first.