10/03/2023
What can we all agree on!? Even in the context of Aikido, an art in principle devoted to harmony, blending and connection, the answer appears difficult to come by. Koichi Tohei proposed that there were four fundamental or basic principles available to the experience of every human being on the planet. His vision was that we could at least come together in a shared experience of those principles and use them as a starting point to gradually evolve our ability to participate in the highest ideals of the human experience - peace, love and understanding among them.
Unfortunately, the four basic principles have not gained wide recognition, let alone an effective understanding or implementation even by most of those who have become aware of them. However, despite these impediments to their implementation, the integrity of Koichi's intention and the value of the four principles are no less diminished as to their dramatic utility. Not only in the application of martial technique, but in our daily lives as well. My personal, consistent engagement with the Four Basic Principles has shaped the positive quality of all aspects of my life for over thirty five years.