THE FIVE WAYS AIKIDO NURTURES HUMAN LIFE

While training with Hikitsuchi Sensei in Shingu in 1973 he told me that Osensei used to talk about how Aikido nurtured or
developed human life. He then said 5 words, KI-IKU, CHI-IKU, TAI-IKU, TOKU-IKU, JOSHIKI. He said these were the five areas
Aikido practice developed, that each of us needed to “grow up” in the area of understanding KI, to increase our knowledge and
wisdom through study and experience, to strengthen and purify our bodies, to understand ethical behavior and to be socially skilled.The practice of Aikido would help us in all these areas if we practiced sincerely with the intent to help others.

I was moved by this teaching and have thought about it and studied it through my own practice of study and teaching. You can see this in action in your own dojo if you watch the development of beginners as they advance in their training. With helpful guidance all of us could develop in profound ways, as I believe Osensei wished.