Initially, I intended to create a web site that contained essential introductory information for people interested in joining the OGI aikido club. Basically, something like "Aikido is the way of harmonizing with force. We meet at 5:30pm in the OGI cafeteria on Monday and Wednesday."
I then remembered some aikido philosophy by Rod Kobayashi that I had transcribed while studying for my shodan exam in 1986. I decided to include that material in the web site as well. After some organizing, it became apparent that the shihan for the OGI club, Fumio Toyoda, did not get equal philosophical time.
So I started looking for printed Toyoda philosophy and then I started reading O'sensei's philosophy and then I really had a hodge-podge of ideas. I decided to use the web site to organize the aikido sources that I find most compelling. I hope you benefit from this effort.
As I have been emphasing the importance of returning to the fundamental, shoshin-ni-kaeru, it is very important for us to always reflect back to the basic principles of aikido. There are many ways of training in aikido, countless variations of techniques and instrustors varying in their ways of teaching. Aikido has a vast spectrum of training because it follows the ways of nature.
Since we are working with the infinite wisdom of nature, there should be constant progress in our ways of training. However, we must always remind ourselves that the aikido principles must remain the same as they were founded by Professor Morihei Ueshiba.
Rod Kobayashi from the introduction to a Glossary for Seidokan Aikdio, 1984.