Aikido (Shinjitai 合気道, Kyūjitai 合氣道, aikidō) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles including Aikikai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, and Ki Aikido.
Aikido is now practiced in 140 countries [1]. It was originally developed by Master Morihei Ueshibaas a synthesis of his martial studies, Eastern philosophy, and Shintoist religious beliefs.
AikidoFounder Morihei Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves against attacks, while also protecting the attackers from injury [2, 3].
Aikido is often translated as "the way of unifying (with) life energy" [4] or as "the way of harmonious spirit" [5]. According to the founder's philosophy, the primary goal in the practice of aikido is to overcome oneself instead of cultivating violence or aggressiveness [6].
Aikido's founder used the phrase masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi (正勝吾勝勝速日, "true victory, final victory over oneself, here and now") to refer to this principle [7].
Aikido's fundamental principles include: irimi [8] ("entering"), atemi ("strikes") [9, 10], kokyu-ho ("breathing control"), sankaku-ho ("triangular principle"), and tenkan ("turning") movements that redirect the opponent's own attack momentum.
Aikido's curriculum is comprised of various techniques, primarily throws and joint locks [11]. It includes a weapons system encompassing the bokken, tantō, and jō.
Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu (a form of jujitsu) but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba's involvement with the new Shinto-based Ōmoto-kyō religion (Oomoto). Ueshiba's early students' documents bear the term aiki-jūjutsu [12].
You too can learn to fight (UK)
Aikido as practiced by Ueshiba's senior students take different approaches to the art, depending partly on when they studied with the master.
Aikido today is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques formulated by Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker. More
Jesse Enkamp(video); Editors, Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit UPDATED
From Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post reporters Leonnig and Davis, a shocking investigation of unparalleled depth into the subversion of the Justice Department over the last decade, culminating in Pres. Trump upending this cornerstone of democracy and threatening America’s rule of law as we have long known it.
Throughout his first administration, Trump did more than any other president to politicize the nation’s top law enforcement agency, pressuring appointees
to shield him,
to target his enemies, and even
to help him cling to power after his 2020 election defeat.
I told ya Swamp's corrupt. Who's got power?
The department, pressed into a defensive crouch, has never fully recovered.
Injustice exposes not only the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the department at every turn but also how delays in investigating Trump’s effort to overturn the will of voters under Attorney General Merrick Garland helped prevent the country from holding Trump accountable and enabled his return to power.
I do what Israel tells me to do. Ask Bibi why.
With never-before-told accounts, Leonnig and Davis take readers inside as prosecutors convulsed over Trump’s disdain for the rule of law. FBI agents, the department’s storied investigators, at times retreated in fear.
They take readers to the rooms where Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team set off on an all-but-impossible race to investigate Trump for absconding with classified documents and waging an assault on democracy—and inside his prosecution’s heroic and fateful choices that ultimately backfired.
Neutral toward injustice? - Desmond Tutu
With a plethora of sources deeply embedded in the ranks of three presidencies, Leonnig and Davis reveal the daily war secretly waged for the soul of the department, how it has been shredded by propaganda and partisanship, and how—if the United States hopes to live on with its same form of government—Trump’s war with the Justice Department will mark a turning point from which it will be hard to recover.
Injustice is the jaw-dropping account of partisans and enablers undoing democracy, heroes still battling to preserve a nation governed by laws, and a call to action for those who believe in liberty and justice for all. More
(Late Night with Seth Meyers) Tuesday, Oct: 7, 2025: Meyers addresses the U.S. Treasury releasing a silver dollar with Trump's head on both sides, no tails, Bill Nye protesting Trump's proposal to cut NASA's science budget, and more in his monologue for Monday, Oct. 6, before taking a closer look at Trump claiming he has the power to send paramilitary troops to Portland but doesn't have the power to keep the government open.
Kim Iversen, Oct. 7, 2025; The Damage Report, Sesame Street humiliates Trump, and he pays them back with cancellation; Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Real-life samurai Sasaki Rui (佐々木 累), or Rui-San, was a Japanese swordswoman, Onna-musha and kenjutsu expert of the early Edo period (mid-17th century). She was known as the "Strangely Dressed Female Sword Master" [1, 2, 3].
Life of Sasaki Rui
Sasaki was born in Koga domain, located in Shimōsa province (modern-day Koga, Ibaraki), exact birthdate unknown. Her father Sasaki Uōto was a member of a clan of kenjutsu masters in service to Doi Toshikatsu and was thoroughly versed in the martial arts.
Since Rui-San had no brothers and her attempts to take a husband ended in divorce, upon her father's death from illness the Sasaki clan name became extinct [1, 2, 3].
Rui-San went to Edo, where she rented a house in present-day Asakusa and began teaching the martial arts.
At the same time that her teaching was becoming well-known, she began to be famous for her unusual dress:
She would leave the house wearing a black silk crepe haori (a man's garment at the time) emblazoned with the Sasaki family crest, her hair done up in an indoor style with hairpins, and wearing the samurai's long and short swords [1, 2, 3].
At that time, the ruffians known as kabukimono or hatamoto yakko were running rampant in Edo, and Rui-San began fighting with the "Shiroe" gang, among other groups [1, 2]. More
Various samurai clans struggled for power during the Kamakura shogunate. Zen Buddhismspread among the samurai in the 13th century and helped shape their standards of conduct, particularly in overcoming the fear of death and [the wrongdoing of] killing. Among the general populace devotional Pure Land Buddhism was favored however. More
Samurai had arranged marriages, which were engineered by a go-between of the same or higher rank. While for those samurai in the upper ranks this was a necessity (as most had few opportunities to ever meet women), this was a formality for lower-ranked samurai.
Most samurai married women from a samurai family, but for lower-ranked samurai, marriages with commoners were permitted. In these marriages a dowry was brought by the woman and was used to set up the couple's new household.
A samurai could take concubines, but their backgrounds were checked by higher-ranked samurai. In many cases, taking a concubine was akin to a marriage. Kidnapping a concubine, although common in fiction, would have been shameful, if not criminal. More
How could this psychotic Nazi coach be so mean to little princess Jojo Siwa with the mom looking on in silence? Is this any way to raise a healthy dancer or pop idol? It is the way of Kali, Durga, and ferocity. There has to be a better way to enter the place of the way to discover the Tao of Self-Development.
Punk: clumsy Dancing Shiv' (skanking)
(WQ) The dojo ("the place of the way") is a training center, do or tao being "the way of," and the other portion of the word being the suggested way. Chado is "the Way of Tea" (cha or chai being tea) and taekwondo is "the way of striking with foot and hand," a martial art (method of combat). The Way of the Buddha could be the mantra Buddho, the Ennobling Eightfold Path, rather than the martial arts of Japanese budō (wu-dō) or "Way of War." And Play-Doh (a brand name form of "play dough," the Way of Play") might be a good name for dancing, if dancing weren't taken so very seriously by aspiring dancers. Playdo might be the best name for "the Way of Meditation," chan'do, "the Way of the Way," the Way of Jhana, chan, dhyana, or Zen (which is just the Japanese pronunciation of the Pali word jhanaor "meditative absorption").
Jojo Siwa on TV's Dance Moms
Meditation? Start with the mantra "Buddho"
Buddho by Phra Ajahn Thate Desaransi, American Theravada Buddhist monk Ven. Thanissaro (trans) from accesstoinsight.org edited by Wisdom Quarterly
.
The Buddha inspired great confidence
When one goes to study meditation with any group or teacher who is experienced in a particular form of meditation, one should first make one's heart confident that that teacher is fully experienced in that form of meditation.
Confidence (saddha)
Be confident that the form of meditation taught is the right path for sure. At the same time, show respect for the place in which one is to meditate. Only then should one begin practicing.
Dedication
Teachers in the past used to require a dedication ceremony as a means of inspiring confidence before one was to study meditation. They would have one make an offering of five pairs of candles and five pairs of white flowers. This was called the five khandha. Or eight pairs of candles and eight pairs of white flowers, which was called the eight khandha. Or one pair of candles each weighing 15 grams and an equal number of white flowers.
Meditation methods
Then they would teach one their particular form of meditation. This ancient custom has its good points. There are many other ceremonies as well, but I won't go into them. I'll mention only a very simple, easy-to-follow ceremony a little further on.
Dhammakaya technique
Only after one has inspired confidence in one's heart as already mentioned should one go to the teacher experienced in that form of meditation. If a teacher is experienced in repeating samma araham, that teacher will teach one to repeat samma araham, samma araham, samma araham.
(Samma = "right," araham = arahant = "enlightened one," so roughly this could mean "right enlightenment.")
Then the teacher will have one visualize a bright, clear jewel two inches above the navel and tell one to focus the mind there as one continues the repetition, without letting the mind slip away from the jewel. In other words, one takes the jewel as the focal point of the mind.
Rising and falling
If one goes to a teacher experienced in meditating on the rising and falling of the abdomen, that teacher will have one meditate on rising and falling and focus the mind on the different motions of the body.
For instance, when one raises a foot, one thinks "raising." When one places a foot, one thinks "placing," and so on. Or else the teacher will have one focus continually on being preoccupied with the phenomenon of arising and passing away in every motion or position of the body.
Psychic powers
If one goes to a teacher experienced in psychic powers, that teacher will have one repeat na ma ba dha, na ma ba dha and focus the mind on a single object until it takes one to see heavens and hells, deities and brahmas of all sorts, to the point where one gets carried away with those visions.
Breath meditation
If one goes to a teacher experienced in breath meditation, that teacher will have one focus on one's in-and-out breath (ana-pana-sati) and have one keep the mind firmly preoccupied with nothing but the in-and-out breath.
Mantra reptition
If one goes to a teacher experienced in meditating on the mantra buddho, that teacher will have one repeat buddho, buddho, buddho and have one keep the mind firmly on that meditation word until one is fully skilled at it.
Then that teacher will have one contemplate buddho and what it is that is saying buddho. Once one sees that they are two separate things, focus on what's saying buddho. As for the word buddho, it will disappear, leaving only what it is that was saying buddho.
One then focuses on what it is that was saying buddho as the object of meditation.
What is the true cause?
People of our time — people of any time, for that matter — regardless of how educated or capable they may be and especially those of us who are Buddhists: Buddhism teaches causes and effects that are entirely true, but why is it that we have to fall for the claims and advertisements we hear everywhere? It must be because people at present are impatient and want to see results before they have completed the causes, in line with the fact that we are supposed to be in an atomic age.
(I don't want to criticize any of us as tending to believe in things the truth of which we have not tested because, after all, we all want to know and see the truth.)
Buddhism teaches us to penetrate into the heart and mind, which are mental phenomena. As for the material body, it is a physical phenomenon. Physical phenomena are under the control of mental phenomena.
Training the mind
When we begin to practice meditation and train the mind to be quiet and untroubled, I can't see that we are creating any problems at that moment for anyone at all. If we keep practicing until we are skilled, then we will be calm and at peace.
If more and more people practice this way, there will be peace and happiness all over the world. As for the body, we can train it to be peaceful only as long as the mind is in full control.
The minute mindfulness lapses, the body will return to its old habits. So let's try training the mind by repeating buddho.
Preliminary Steps to Practicing Meditation
Before practicing meditation on the mantra word buddho, start with the preliminary steps. In other words, inspire confidence in the mind, as already mentioned, then bow three times, saying: More
Jojo Siwa, Mother Siwa, and Nazi Coach (Dance Moms), Ajahn Thate translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (accesstoinsight.com); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Lisa, I want to learn Zen in Japan from an old master, so I'm going to need some "ha sos" and "chop chops," you know, some Japanese lessons. Think you can help me with that? Hai?
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Marjorie Taylor Greene, MAGAverse make wild Trump assassination claim, Nikki Haley endorses
The Mandella Effect new car with CGI video
(Jimmy Kimmel Live) May 22, 2024: The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise, Republi-Klan Mom Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed that the Biden DOJ and FBI were planning to assassinate Trump when they searched Mar-a-Lago in 2022, the special counsel believes that Trump did even more to obstruct justice than was previously known.
Trump can’t stop whining about how “cold” the courtroom has been, Trump’s bitter opponent Nikki Haley is now saying that she will vote for him, Trump attorney and adviser Rudy Giuliani was arraigned over Zoom in Arizona in relation to their election crimes, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Josh Meyers) has an exciting new Prop he wants your support on. #Kimmel
Trump’s assassination paranoia, disagreement over economic reality | The Daily Show
To an earlier generation, this was the most famous president the CIA ever killed: JFK 'n Jackie
(The Daily Show) May 22, 2024: Michael Kosta reports on a new poll from The Guardian, showing that Americans believe the economy is shrinking, the stock market is down, and unemployment is at a 50-year-high. Plus, RFK Jr. issues an appeal to amateur traders on Reddit, and Trump claims that Joe Biden tried to assassinate him during the Mar-a-Lago raid two years ago. Thankfully, Josh Johnson joins to explain what’s really going on behind the scenes at Biden HQ. #DailyShow #MichaelKosta #Trump
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