Aikido and Words of Power: The Sacred Sounds of the Kototama

Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba described the discipline as one spirit, four souls, three origins, and eight powers. One spirit and four souls are the five vowel dimensions of infinite space, the source of the sacred sounds of Kototama. Now, for the first time in English, William Gleason explains how to use the sounds of Kototama in the practice of aikido.

Aikido is often approached as a purely physical discipline, but it is a truly profound spiritual vehicle for those who approach it with sincerity of purpose. The five vowels represent various dimensions and stages of awareness, whose different powers are revealed through aikido practice. Using more than 300 photographs, Gleason sensei presents physical routines that provide an introduction into the Kanagi, Sugaso, and Futonorito levels of spiritual development.

Understanding the sacred sounds related to each of these dimensions, the adept gains not only the ability to realize the stages inherent in spiritual mastery but also the ability to maintain health and balance in his or her own life. When fish move through water, there is no end to the water; when birds fly, there is no end to the sky. Similarly, humans swim and fly in an ocean of sounds. Understanding Kototama allows human beings to view the world without distortion and allows the creative powers of the mind to flourish.

Aikido and Japanese Sword DVD

In the modern practice of Aikido, the study of the sword has practically disappeared from training. At times, the severity of real combat can easily be lost in Aikido practice, because it is a non-competitive martial discipline. When the sword is brought into Aikido movement, however, a greater sense of urgency and attention to the moment becomes necessary.

In this DVD William Gleason Sensei (6th dan) demonstrates why the recognition of underlying sword movements is essential to the understanding of many Aikido techniques. Gleason Sensei will show you how the study of swordwork in Aikido can go beyond the memorization of kata, and why the true benefit comes from experiencing the proper handling of the sword itself. Learn how the movements in traditional swordwork and those in Aikido barehanded techniques are essentially one and the same. (See some screen shots from the DVD.)

Additional information:
DVD Format: NTSC
Language: English
Length: 61 minutes
Other information: All region DVD

The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido

Morihei Ueshiba, who founded Aikido early in this century, intended that his martial art would give form to profound spiritual truth. He saw Aikido not as a fighting method or as a competitive sport but rather as a means of becoming one with the laws of universal ki, or life energy. Unfortunately, the subtleties of Ueshiba's teachings, veiled in the esoteric terminology of Shinto, can be puzzling for even the most advanced practitioners. These teachings are not passed down today, and have never been introduced to the West.

William Gleason's The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido is the first book to introduce the underlying spiritual principles of Aikido, the elusive concept of kototama (word souls), and little-known teachings of Shinto and Aikido.