Forty-eight

"It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law."

"The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered"," published Lippincott's Magazine (March 1896).

There is only one Dance. Many forms of Dance exist. Is there only one true form of Dance? There is only one Painting. Many forms of Painting exist. Is there only one true form of Painting? There is only one Music. Many forms of Music exist. Is there only one true form of Music? There is only one Aikido. Many forms of Aikido exist. Is there only one true form of Aikido?

It has been said that those who are not doing Ueshiba's Aikido are not doing Aikido for, after all, there is only one Aikido. But isn't all this quibbling over what is and is not Ueshiba's Aikido really a debate over the form of the Aikido that is being practiced? I have yet to see a universally accepted definition of what Aikido is, much less an accepted definition of what Ueshiba's Aikido was. Before Ueshiba took on his first student there was only one form of Aikido, Ueshiba's. But as with any art form, as soon as more than one person engages in it the form of the art has the potential to change and grow.

The form of my Aikido is in harmony with the function(s) to which I intend to put my Aikido. My movements, training methods, teaching style are all factors that determine the form of my Aikido and are all ultimately reflections of my intent.