Thirty

Light reveals what darkness hides, I hold my own candle to illuminate the path.

Aikido belongs to the world. With each passing day the number of people finding Aikido grows larger and more diversified. It is no longer possible for anyone to lay claim to being the final arbiter of what is and is not Aikido. The art itself has grown beyond the bounds that people or organizations try to enclose it in. And for that we should all be thankful. For the growth of Aikido, its multi-directedness, has only enriched the art and those who follow its many paths.

An art that does not change and grow to reflect the times in which it is practiced and taught will eventually wither and fade into relative obscurity. I do not believe that O-Sensei meant for this to happen to Aikido. He recognized that his art would change with the changing times and so embraced change as a natural consequence of growth.

The politics, the titles, the claim of legitimacy and the accusation of its opposite are all just window dressing. All that matters is training. Each hour I spend on the mat is another hour spent on the mat; another hour that moves me inexorably closer to the perfect unification of mind and body. That is my goal. Others have other goals and I wish them well.