Morihei Ueshiba, The Founder
As ai (harmony) is common with ai (love), I decided to name my unique budo " Aikido," although the word "aiki" is an old one. The word as it was used by the warriors in the past is fundamentally different from mine. Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat the enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family. The secret of Aikido is to harmonize ourselves with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself. He who has gained the secret of Aikido has the universe in himself and can say, "I am the universe".
I am never defeated, however fast the enemy may attack. It is not because my technique is faster than that of the enemy. It is not a question of speed. The fight is finished before it is begun. When an enemy tries to fight with me, the universe itself, he has to break the harmony of the universe. Hence at the moment he has the mind to fight with me, he is already defeated. There exists no measure of time - fast or slow. Aikido is non-resistance. As it is non-resistant, it is always victorious. Those who have a warped mind, a mind of discord, have been defeated from the beginning. Then, how can you straighten your warped mind, purify your heart, and be harmonized with the activities of all things in Nature? You should first make God's heart yours. It is a Great Love, Omnipresent in all quarters- and in all times of the universe. "There is no discord in love. There is no enemy of love." A mind of discord, thinking of the existence of an enemy, is no longer consistent with the will of God.
Those who do not agree with this cannot be in harmony with the universe. Their budo is that of destruction. It is not constructive budo. Therefore to compete in techniques, winning and losing, is not true budo. True budo knows no defeat. "Never defeated" means "never fighting". Winning means winning over the mind of discord in yourself. This is to accomplish your bestowed mission. This is not mere theory. You practice it. Then you will accept the great power of oneness with Nature. In Aikido we control the opponent's mind before we face him. That is we draw him into ourselves. We go forward in life with this attraction of our spirit, and attempt to command a whole view of the world.