The opposition between comprehensivity and specialization although discussed by Darwin, was revealed as an issue of life or death for all humanity by R. Buckminster Fuller…

O-Sensei said that Aikido is education; (ki-iku, tai-iku, chi-iku, and toku-iku*). The meaning of the japanese word for education iku, is well translated by the sense of the original Latin educare (to lead out from) to which, when discussing the problem particularly of chi-iku, R. Buckminster Fuller added …from the monological imperatives of ignorance… which phrase, interestingly, also describes the process of an Aikido move, the uke being led out, into another reality of connection rather than separation, where attack and defense have no meaning.

O-Sensei also defined Aikido as being 50% bun (art/ culture/ science, and philosophy or, as John Stevens translates the word, deep learning) and 50% bu (energy/ power/ to stop attack/ love,-usually expressed as practice of techniques) and that bu should enlighten bun, and viceversa….

It is clear from the forgoing that Aikido is comprehensive, and in no way can it be considered to be within the specialization called martial arts, and that when practiced in accordance with O-Sensei’s teaching, it functions clearly to educate the practitioner comprehensively!

Peter Shapiro

*ki: ki (chinese: chi)
tai: body
chi: knowledge as wisdom
toku: charisma that comes from spiritual practice