"If Aikido is just dancing for you, then your Aikido is shallow, and
it has no ability to either defend or heal"
"My purpose is to guide Aikido students away from
the “dancing mindset’, from training in a comfortable way mentally and
physically. I want to make them think about the real meaning, the real
application of “harmony” – it comes from the moment of being in front of an
enemy who can destroy you, who is not going to participate in your harmony.
This is the essence of O Sensei’s Aikido meaning, and without this
understanding Aikido is missing something important. I often ask my students,
“can you defend your life?” Because if your answer is “no”, then your Aikido
has no real meaning and you have no real understanding of Aikido principle. If
Aikido is just dancing for you, then your Aikido is shallow, and it has no
ability to either defend or heal". - Mitsugi Saotome Shihan
