Aikido

and Aggressivity

Non-Aggressivity

At his last week-long seminar in Bosco Gurin, Switzerland, in the summer of 2019, Yoshigasaki Sensei explained the radical change that Morihei Ueshiba made to the original Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu. The purpose of the techniques changed. They were now preparations for religious/spiritual experiences and, in Yoshigasaki Sensei's words, became "acts."
Tohei Sensei wanted to perform the techniques non-aggressively. However, this doesn't work, as all techniques inevitably end in aggression sooner or later.
Yoshigasaki Sensei's suggestion is to understand the techniques as acts, simply for the purpose of self-expression.

Video Content

(paraphrased, with most repetitions omitted)
...so, Aikido as an introduction to religion.
Ueshiba met Omoto-kyo, and that's why religion became more important to him.
We all know that we don't use Aikido (techniques) in everyday life. So what's the point of practicing them?
Ueshiba thought that Aikido practice could serve as a way to reach God, Aikido as a path to God. That is religion.
And so it became a means of self-expression.
Ueshiba used Aikido to express his understanding of religion. It became a religious act. It's not a religious technique; it's an act. Is the difference clear?
All acts in the religious sphere are acts, not techniques. So, if it's a religious act, it's not aggressive. That was Ueshiba's idea for becoming non-aggressive. This part is very important.
Tohei Sensei was also mistaken. He wanted to practise non-aggressive techniques. That's his error. Non-aggressive techniques don't exist.
When everything goes smoothly, it looks non-aggressive. But when things get difficult, then... heave-ho. So that was his error. It didn't work.
Every technique is aggressive. Only acts are non-aggressive.
Whenever you want to use a technique, it becomes aggressive. That's perfectly normal.

Note

Morihei Ueshiba always spoke of "kami" in his teachings. Translating this as "God" or "gods" is almost unavoidable, but somewhat too specific. According to Ueshiba's understanding, kami are spiritual beings in a spiritual world. Ueshiba felt connected to this world, to all of nature, to the entire universe, and realized this through Aiki Jujutsu, Aiki Budo, etc., and later Aikido. He understood the spiritual world as a world full of harmony. Consequently, his techniques or actions were harmonious and non-aggressive and were intended to cultivate this connection with between the human world and the world of kami.
For Tohei Sensei, Ueshiba's ideas were perhaps too religious, and he sought a different foundation for Aikido. He found it in the concept of Ki. The Ki of the universe makes the techniques of Aikido possible. In this way aggression mostly wasn't necessary.
Yoshigasaki Sensei found a solution for non-aggression in the concept of "acts." While techniques have a clear goal, according to him, an act is unintentional, as a momentary, situation-dependent "expression". He sees this as the basis for non-aggressive action.