Monthly Archives: April 2013

The Secret of Aikido is love?

Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba’s Calligraphy for "Ai" ("love")
Takashi Sasaki (佐々木貴) entered Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1962. He completed a Master’s program in commerce from Waseda University in 1966, and with a Ni-Dan in Aikido from Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei he departed for Germany, to work and teach Aikido. Returning to Japan in 1977, he was promoted to 7th Dan Aikikai in 2003. He is the author of "Budo Wisdom for Business" (ビジネスのための武道の智恵), and the founder of the Sasaki Aikido Institute (佐々木合気道研究所).

"Budo Wisdom for Business" (ビジネスのための武道の智恵)
This is an English translation of some thoughts by Sasaki sensei on the nature of love in Aikido. There are many interesting articles on Aikido and Aikido training by Sasaki sensei available from the Sasaki Aikido Institute website.

Interview with Aikido Shihan Masando Sasaki, Part 3

The two faces of Masando Sasaki Sensei
"Aikido is the manifestation of the principles of the universe – connection and the union of opposites."
“Your belly won’t get full reading a cookbook; you have to eat!”
-Masando Sasaki Sensei
Masando Sasaki (佐々木の将人), 8th Dan, passed away on February 15th 2013 at the age of 84. Born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1929, he was a graduate in economics and law of Chuo University. Sasaki began aikido in 1954 while employed by the Self-Defense Agency, and was also was a member of the Tempukai and Ichikukai, and a priest of the Yamakage San’in Shinto sect.
This is the third part of a three part English translation of an interview with Masando Sasaki that was published in a collection of interviews with students of the Founder published in Japanese as "Profiles of the Founder" (開祖の横顔) in 2009. You may wish to read Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview before reading this section.There was a short introduction to "Profiles of the Founder" in the article "Morihei Ueshiba – Profiles of the Founder".Previous postings have featured English translations of interviews from that collection with Nobuyoshi Tamura sensei (Part 1 | Part 2), and Hiroshi Isoyama sensei (Part 1 | Part 2).