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Sounds like a quote from Kisshomaru Ueshiba in "The Spirit of Aikido" (合氣道のこころ). I don't have the English version to compare, but in the Japanese version it's the first line of the first chapter: 合氣道は、いうまでもなく本質的に武道である。 Kisshomaru expressed the same sentiment many times - his father may have as well, but I don't recall off hand. Morihei more often talked ...

I've studied iaido for five years, and practiced a variety of styles under one teacher (that's how much my words are worth). In general, parries, blocks and deflections are done with the side or the back of the sword. It provides a very convenient yin/yang balance to the movements, where you can draw from your opponent's strike and smoothly deflect it, then ...

I haven't been able to find a reference to that direct quote. There are a number of things that mean the same thing. O'Sensei appears to have spoken often about being on a quest to find the perfect Budo, and that Aikido (or Aiki Budo) is the result of that search. The closest quote I've found is: "On reflection, Aikido can be seen as the root source of ...

The names will depend on your style. For example, oshi taoshi is called both ikkyo and ikajo but refers to the same technique. You should try to get hold of your syllabus in romaji (the Roman alphabet transcript) as this will telly you the minimum you have to learn. The rest is just flavour. The aiki web and the Aikido FAQ both have a glossary of common ...

Have fun with this list: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/dji/home/aikilex/ This is a tool for people who want to gain greater insight into the vocabulary of the art of aikido. Its purpose is not to offer authoritative definitions of the many terms we use in the dojo, but rather simply to list, in Japanese and romanized script, the words and word fragments ...

Japanese martial arts traditionally do not block. The theory is Evade and Strike. An easy way to consider this is to look at the footwork. In Aikido, your hanmi is not a strong stance to block, but it's a great stance for moving and evading. With this mindset, I have trouble believing that there is a proper "Block". I can't think of any time I've been ...

There is also a small reference work called "Aikido Terminology: An essential reference tool in both English and Japanese." The book has very thorough explanation of the language -- with things grouped usefully, (e.g. "stances", "etiquette", etc). It very clearly explains the words in English and Japanese including pronunciation.