Aikido is now practised in 86 countries. The Aikido ideal of 'polishing one's mind and body to foster a spirit of harmony' has struck a common chord among the peoples of the world. This book was written by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the son of the founder of Aikido. Born into the household of a martial arts genius, Kisshomaru naturally absorbed many teachings from his father, Morihei, as he was growing up. Morihei himself explained Aikido in archaic, esoteric language, and limited his instruction to only a select few, but in order to accomplish the mission of introducing Aikido to