{"product_id":"the-spiritual-foundations-of-aikido-9780892815081","title":"The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido","description":"Morihei Ueshiba, who founded Aikido early in this century, intended that his martial art would give form to profound spiritual truth, and lead to a unification of the world's peoples. He saw Aikido not as a fighting method or as a competitive sport but rather as a means of becoming one with the laws of universal order--\u003ci\u003eki\u003c\/i\u003e, or life energy. Unfortunately, the subtleties of Ueshiba's teachings, veiled in the esoteric terminology of Shinto, can be puzzling for even the most advanced practitioners. They are not passed down today, and have never been introduced to the West. Gleason, a fifth-degree (Godan) black belt in Aikido, recognizing the importance of the spiritual aspects of the discipline, researched its roots in Shinto, and in this book is able to offer a clear explanation of Ueshiba's teachings. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Unlike the common how-to manuals on basic technique, this is the first book to introduce the underlying spiritual principles of Aikido--the elusive concept of \u003ci\u003ekototama\u003c\/i\u003e (word souls), expressed as one spirit, four souls, three origins, and eight powers--and how they relate to the forms. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Teaches the student how to use Aikido to accomplish spiritual goals. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- Reveals little-known teachings of Shinto and Aikido, relating them to Buddhism, Christianity, and other spiritual teachings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Destiny Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/01\/1995\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780892815081\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.15lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 10.01h x 8.04w x 0.53d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/15\/1995 pg. 75\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"William Gleason","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36645749588124,"sku":"9780892815081","price":21.21,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_101c81b3-1342-43ec-8433-43918cc8c770.jpg?v=1603861998","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-spiritual-foundations-of-aikido-9780892815081","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}