Off-the-Mat Aikido

The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited.

— Morihei Ueshiba, O Sensei, the founder of Aikido, translated by John Stevens

I spent last weekend at the Aiki Extensions conference, which was held at Sofia University in Palo Alto, California. Aiki Extensions is an organization of Aikido practitioners i...