Product Description

Morihei Ueshiba, who founded Aikido early in this century, intended that his martial art would give form to profound spiritual truth, and lead to a unification of the world's peoples. He saw Aikido not as a fighting method or as a competitive sport but rather as a means of becoming one with the laws of universal order--ki, or life energy. Unfortunately, the subtleties of Ueshiba's teachings, veiled in the esoteric terminology of Shinto, can be puzzling for even the most advanced practitioners. They are not passed down today, and have never been introduced to the West. Gleason, a fifth-degree (Godan) black belt in Aikido, recognizing the importance of the spiritual aspects of the discipline, researched its roots in Shinto, and in this book is able to offer a clear explanation of Ueshiba's teachings.

•  Unlike the common "how-to" manuals on basic technique, this is the first book to introduce the underlying spiritual principles of Aikido--the elusive concept of kototama (word souls), expressed as one spirit, four souls, three origins, and eight powers--and how they relate to the forms.

•  Teaches the student how to use Aikido to accomplish spiritual goals.

•  Reveals little-known teachings of Shinto and Aikido, relating them to Buddhism, Christianity, and other spiritual teachings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #424987 in Books
• Published on: 1995-11-01
• Released on: 1995-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Review
"If interested in a serious exploration of Japanese religion, the practice of Zen, or aikido history, this title could serve well. It thoroughly explains the basic philosophical concepts behind this martial art and the components of Shinto and Zen."
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Library Journal

About the Author
William Gleason is a widely respected teacher of Aikido who gives workshops nationwide. His initial training came during ten years of Aikido study in Tokyo at Honbu Dojo with Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu and Yamaguchi Seigo Sensei, considered by many to be the number one teacher in the world. As a westerner trained in Japan, he brings a unique perspective to the study of this discipline.

Customer Reviews

Amazing content, very poor binding...
William Gleason is amazing. His book is so full of incredible information, it must be read and re-read many times. Unfortunately, the binding is of very poor quality and did not even withstand the first reading before falling apart. This book deserves better.

Becoming one with ...
As of this writing I am 67 years old and have only been training at aikido for just less than three years. And as O'Sensei recommends, I do now train every day and am learning to be more perceptive of everything around me. Although difficult to put into words, I believe I was attracted to aikido initially because I felt something was missing in my life and aikido seemed to present an opportunity to find out what that might be within the context of mind/body/spirit. For me, aikido has become a continuous and never ending process of becoming and existing more fully (beginner's mind) in each and every moment. I found what William Gleason Sensei has written in "The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido" helps to confirm what I have been discovering and has helped me to establish some of the initial structures (co-ordinated mind and body) I needed to facilitate the process, or flow, (spiritual) of blending, maintaining connection and becoming one with those with whom I train and all others .

Valuable Reading for Aikidoka, Regretfully Poor Binding.
As a beginning student in the art of Aikido, I hardly feel capable of rendering any worthwhile judgments on the content of this book. It's value to me personally in achieving an understanding of the process of learning the art has been tremendous, however. Gleason Sensei's explanations and examples have helped me greatly in making the connection between Aikido training and the way of life which this art is truly meant to be. This is one of those books which, while reading, you will continuously say to yourself "Ah - now I understand!" or "Yes - this has happened to me!" It is a book which you will be inspired to share with your fellow students as well.

Unfortunately, I must in honesty say that Destiny Publishers has failed in their effort to provide a lasting medium for the words of William Gleason. My paperback copy of this book disintegrated into a handful of loose pages before I was halfway finished. It is truly a testament to the inspirational worth of this book to me personally, that I overcame my impatience and finished it despite this.

Still, I would rate this a "must read" for anyone seriously interested in Aikido - regretfully, I cannot lend you my copy.