Secrets of Aikido

by John Stevens

Aikido is the Way of Peace, a martial art aimed at harmonizing body and spirit with the natural forces of the universe. In this book, John Stevens explores the hidden teachings and deeper dimensions of Aikido, especially its spiritual wisdom as taught by its Founder, Morihei Ueshiba. The book

   •  Practices for the purification of mind and body
   •  The tantric dimensions of Aikido, unifying masculine and feminine
   •  The Aikido science of sound and how it parallels the use of mantras and similar practices in other spiritual disciplines
   •  Breathing techniques for calming the spirit and returning to the source of life
   •  The six pillars of physical techniques based on spiritual principles that link us to a higher realm of being

Genres: Martial Arts, Philosophy

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Stevens (1947- ) is a Buddhist priest and Aikido teacher.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Harry Cook's book on the History of Shotokan Karate I understood how the Shotokai style tied into the philosophy of Moreihei Ueshiba. Funakoshi's sempei named Egami who co-founded the Shotokai style, had students who were relatives and friends of Master Moreihei Ueshiba. I felt I needed to read and try to understand the thinking behind this man. He developed a martial art aimed at harmonizing body and spirit with the natural forces of the universe. His beliefs are best described by the religion he practiced which was Omato-kyu. The meditation practices for the purification of mind and body and the science of sound Kototamas are explored in this book. Breathing techniques for calming the spirit and returning to the source of life appears to be main message in this book. It made me want to know more about Omato-kyu and the Kototamas.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Secrets of Aikidō” is a Masterpiece of Morihei Ueshiba’s teachings translated and arranged by John Stevens.

“The Secrets of Aikidō” is a “Master Text,” in my opinion, which would be more appreciated by reading Morihei Ueshiba’s earlier texts, including “Abundant Peace,” “The Essence of Aikidō: Spiritual Teachings of Morihei Ueshiba,” and “The Art of Peace.”

“The Secrets of Aikidō” is a Work of Art.

[Foxthyme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never took aikido, though I did take iaido and jodo, Japanese sword and staff, for about a year. What I absolutely love about this book is the photos of Morihei Ueshiba. You can actually 'see' the spiritual manifestations that a lifetime of focused martial and energy work have infused into Ueshiba.

[Andre Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neste livro, John Stevens traça paralelos entre as filosofias do aikido e muitas outras, ocidentais e orientais, de forma clara e interessante.

Além disso, compara pincípios básicos da natureza com técnicas e estratégias dentro do aikido.

[Oliver Rabacal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The secret of anything that you do is LOVE! This is a LOVELY presentation of Aikido from John Stevens.