“As ai (harmony) is common with ai (love), I decided to name my unique Budo Aikido, although the word “aiki” is an old one. The word which was used by the warriors in the past is fundamentally different from that of mine.
Those who do not agree with this cannot be in harmony with the Universe. Their Budo is that of destruction. It is not constructive Budo.
Therefore to compete in techniques, winning and losing, is not true Budo. True Budo knows no defeat. “Never defeated” means “never fighting.”
True Budo is the cultivation of attraction with which to draw the whole opponent to you. All I have to do is keep standing this way.
There is no enemy for Ueshiba of Aikido. You are mistaken if you think that Budo means to have opponents and enemies and to be strong and fell them. There are neither opponents nor enemies for true Budo. True Budo is to be one with the Universe; that is to be united with the Center of the Universe.
When anybody asks if my Aiki budo principles are taken from religion, I say “No.” My true Budo principles enlighten religions and lead them to completion.
True Budo is a work of love. It is a work of giving life to all beings, and not killing or struggling with each other. Love is the guardian deity of everything. Nothing can exist without it. Aikido is the realization of love.
Understand Aikido first as Budo and then as the way of service to construct the World Family. Aikido is not for a single country or anyone in particular. Its only purpose is to perform the work of the Divine.
True Budo is the loving protection of all beings with a spirit of reconciliation. Reconciliation means to allow the completion of everyone’s mission.
Without Budo a nation goes to ruin, because Budo is the life of loving protection and is the source of the activities of science.
Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat the enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.”
– Morihei Ueshiba