Aikido, the path of harmonious energy

I have an interest in martial arts. Morihei Ueshiba, born Dec. 14, 1883 in Wakayama, Japan, was the founder of an unusual form of modern marshal art, Aikido. I know of Morihei and his teachings because my daughters attend a local aikido dojo. I am quite impressed with its teachings. It is a marshal art that stresses harmony and love over aggression. It is a form in which size doesn’t matter because the force of the opponent’s aggressions is used against them, sort of like the bigger they are the harder they’ll fall. I’ve seen with my own eyes a little old lady from Pasadena look-alike using minimal movement to neutralize four strong young men who were running at her with full force, one with a knife (plastic). In a micro-second these men were on their butts, incapacitated. Had this been real instead of a test, they would've had broken bones. Standing resolutely and calmly in the center of the storm, the little old lady wasn't even out of breath.

Much of aikido is under the skin – philosophical. My wife recently read a book by Morihei and sent me these quotes that resonate well with my LDS perspective.

“As the last aspect of creation, human beings came into existence as an actualization of all higher powers. Human beings represent all of creation and we must bring the divine plan to fruition.”

“The ancient wise ones taught: ‘Drinking liquor may make you feel spring in your heart, but it shuts off the path to enlightenment.’”

“The divine spirit is always present within me—and you too, if you delve deeply inside – so I am just obeying its commands and letting the awesome power of nature flow through me.”

"Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your inner enlightenment."

"Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace."