“Aikido: Its Philosophy and Application” is an article by Alan Drengson published as the first chapter in the book Aikido, Vol 1: O’Sensei’s Sublime Synthesis.
My first interest in martial arts grew out of my study as a philosophy of Daoism and Zen Buddhism. In many respects one can fail to understand the concepts of these philosophies if one lacks the insights to be gained through an experience of their practice. The martial arts associated with these philosophies offer a Western student on of the most accessible routes to this deep understanding. After many years of study of martial arts and other meditative practices, what was once a scholarly interest has broadened into an enlarged way of life. From practice arises deepened experience which enables one to understand these philosophies in greater depth. One realizes that aikido is applicable to all aspects of one’s life, not just in the dojo…
Publisher: Via Media Publishing Company (January 25, 2016)
Editors: Kimberly Taylor, Bob Ward and Christopher Watson