We wish to welcome you to the practice of

"The Harmony of Energy" Way

Here is our collection of documents and studies

which demonstrate AIKIDO's contribution

to our understanding of Energy.

The entity/process that comprises Aikido in the holistic sense grows and adapts eliciting beneficial change and modifying conduct consistent with this change.

Aikido is a way to develop greater inner peace, unify your mind and body, help you to be more calm and relaxed, realize your full potential, and enjoy life to the fullest. It just happens to be disguised as a martial art.

Although Aikido is a relatively recent innovation within the world of martial arts, it is heir to a rich cultural and philosophical background.

Aikido is also invaluable to our attempts to re-balance ourselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Adults may practice Aikido for inner peace, relaxation, or self-defense. But these are concepts that most children don't even think about. So why is Aikido a good idea for kids? What can it contribute to their lives?

So, what is learning? Here are some definitions that I've found:

• Learning is a process of active engagement with experience. It is what people do when they want to make sense of the world. It may involve an increase in skills, knowledge, understanding, values and the capacity to reflect. Effective learning leads to change, development and a desire to learn more.

• Learning is the process, or result, of change in behavior through practice, instruction, or experience. 

Aikido is never practiced for mere self-defense or individual spiritual development.  Aikido is a social activity.

The results of these interviews showed that for approximately two-thirds of the subjects, Aikido was a spiritual practice.

As a professional body  worker, I teach these processes outside of Aikido to a wide variety of people with a broad variety of interests and needs. The essence of these practices is fullness, that is, being present and open in breathing, posture, movement and intentionality.

I introduced myself as a marriage, family, and child counselor.  I began to explain to them that I studied Aikido, a nonviolent martial arts. Aikido never meets force with force. In fact, there are no direct attacks, no striking, or kicking. I pointed out that in their demonstration they each attacked each other. The more one attacked the more the other equally reacted....

Becoming a spiritual being is synonymous with becoming a miracle worker and knowing the bliss of real magic. The differences between people who are non-spiritual, or "physical only", and those whom I call spiritual beings are dramatic.

by Wayne Dyer

There are studies that show a strong correlation between the way people walk or stand and the likelihood of their being physically attacked. Those walking in a balanced and centered manner were hardly ever chosen as potential victims.

Transformative strategies work with the energy or passion of violence, rather than opposing it or trying to eradicate it.

The practice of aikido offers a contemporary exemplar for dealing with conflict which has creative applications in many spheres

In May 1995, I woke up from a 13-day coma.  I was told that people did not know exactly what was wrong with me.

SOMATIC EDUCATION is the use of sensory-motor learning to gain greater voluntary control of ones physiological process. It is "somatic" in the sense that the learning occurs within the individual as an internalized process.

This example of "management Aikido" is a creative approach to overcoming the barrier of "We don't know what we're doing and we have no help!"

This is the principle of least action, of no resistance. This is, therefore, the principle of harmony and love.

Here is a "cutting edge" approach that draws from both Gestalt psychology and the martial art of Aikido. I call this the 4 + 2 Method.

With somatic education, the individual takes an increasingly masterful degree of responsibility for his or her own process.

In recent years, researchers have carefully evaluated the effectiveness of a number of violence prevention programs and strategies. The good news is that a number of programs have been proven to be effective at preventing violence, even with teens that are already violent or in trouble with the law.

An Analysis of Causes and an Assessment of Successful Programs

The efficacy of traditional martial arts programs applied toward mental health issues is well documented.  Over the course of the last twenty years, proliferating research into therapeutic martial arts programs has allowed an academic and professional exploration of alternatives to traditional psychotherapy.

"Aikido is not an art to fight with or to defeat an enemy. It is a Way in which to harmonize all people into one family. The essence of Aikido is to put oneself in tune with the functioning of the universe, to become one with the universe."
-Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido

By virtue of living in Western civilization, all of us are more or less disconnected from our bodies. We have been led to believe that what is happening in the body is not as important as what we are thinking "in our minds"; as if that could be separate from the body.

Several key Ericksonian concepts find cross-cultural validation and practical application in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.

With the command-and-control leader becoming a personality of the past, O'Neil outlines the emergence of the Aikido-style leader. Aikido-style leaders work to achieve inner calm when under attack and learn to blend energy with a competitor to move forward.

The effective management of energy is an important dimension in the martial arts as well as the mental health professions. In examining the disciplines of Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, and Karate, it becomes clear that more is involved than kicking, punching, and throwing bodies on the floor. These martial arts have some important statements to make in the area of mental health, particularly in terms of energy--within our bodies, psyches, interpersonal relationships, and the universe.  

In my opinion, Aikido is the study of relationship - be it relationship to another, to oneself, to the task at hand, or to the world and universe in general.  It is the act of blending with forces that seem to be in opposition, but are, in truth, a part of you.  It would be to limit the art if it were only considered as a form of self-defense.

Bullies are frequently the root of disruption, injury and violence in schools and the workplace. Learn how to change the culture of your organization in order to defuse bullying.

The idea that martial arts training will have beneficial psychological effects in the form of better control, discipline, attention, and self-respect is often suggested in local newspaper advertisements as teachers and clubs seek new students. This paper will review the research literature to examine whether any or all of these claims are supported.

It is within your power to reduce the stressful reactions
that you have. A key to changing your reactions is being
able to track the way in which you generate stress.

“If we are sitting upon a dying earth, and consequently dying as a species solely as a result of the nature of our society, if the technology we have developed is indeed depleting the earth, destroying the air and water, wiping out entire species daily, and steadily weakening us to the point of extinction . . . then is it not time – long past time – when we should do anything, indeed everything, necessary to put an end to such madness? Is it not in fact an act of unadulterated self defense to do so?”

"The shadow is the negative side of the personality, the sum of all those unpleasant qualities we like to hide, together with the insufficiently developed functions and the contents of the personal unconscious..."
-Carl G. Jung

Perhaps the most difficult topic to talk about in the martial arts is ki (Chi or qi in Chinese). Ki not only forms the basis of aikido and Chinese Tai Chi, but more importantly, "forms the crux of East Asian philosophies and religions."

What does Aikido teach us about ethics?

As a practitioner of Aikido who also works full time, this question can be quite challenging.

He taught that aikido is not simply a fighting art but a way of purification that has the purpose of bringing together the body and spirit (kokoro) in accordance with universal principles. It may be described as the budõ that has as its purpose the realisation of harmony.

Aikido, a martial art developed in Japan during the 20th century, translates from its Japanese origin as "Flowing with the Universe as a way of Life." It is distinct from other martial arts (that are often practiced to gain fighting prowess) by developing a strong body and a mind that is calm, and whose natural reaction in a confrontational environment is defense rather than offense.

 In November 1984 I met Abe Sensei and it caused one of the most drastic changes to my life. I would like to talk about things which I learned from Abe Sensei through our conversations.

The Modern Samurai is not one who goes to war or kills people, but one who is dedicated to the creation of a more vivid peace.

The event-filled life of Morihei Ueshiba

is the process that gave birth to Aikido.

Here are two "Papers" on Bullying

Tension is expected during conflicts of interest. But, when you are caught off guard by a verbal snipe, wounds can cut especially deep. Rude remarks may come from misguided efforts to enhance self-esteem by making others look bad, cries for attention, generalized anger that is spewed at the nearest recipient, or impossible demands for perfection and control.

At first sight of the above title I am sure that a lot of Aikidoist's will be angry, they will assume that this is yet another attack on the credibility of Aikido by other martial artist's.