Aikido Kodokai

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Aikido is a way to unify mind and body to understand the law of the universe. It is a way to respect the harmony of nature. We train to purify ourselves, to strengthen our muscles, bones, and to control the flow of life energy within our bodies.

We respect nature. We do not destroy nature. We do not emphasize punching, kicking, or breaking. We work with our energy. We combine the energy of our partners and ourselves to build stronger energy. We do not show off our strength to others in a competitive way. Some of us are physically bigger and stronger. Some of us are not. Regardless of our physical size, by helping each other we can become stronger. A naturally strong person can become stronger. And even a weak person can grow to become stronger than before. We aim to develop and improve ourselves.
All aikido techniques are based on stretching. Aikido movements are natural and fluid. You don't have to be stronger than an oncoming force. As you maintain your center, let an attacker's force go by, join and redirect. Force is joined and redirected. In this way aikido is a non-aggressive, peaceful martial art. It is a useful practice that helps us to learn how to avoid conflict in daily life.
If you would like to read about applying Aikido principles in your daily life, we recommend Oshima Sensei's book Ki Points