When I started training in 1975, there were almost no books in English on Aikido. Now there are many
as well as many fine sources of information on the internet.
You cannot learn Aikido from a book; but a clearer understanding of how and why to practice may be
gleaned by reading some of the fine publications now available. Here are some suggestions. You may
not want to approach them in the order listed here, because O-Sensei’s collected writings can be
challenging due to his poetic and sometimes obscure language. However, you should ponder them deeply
at some point.
Budo: The Teachings of the Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, 1991
ISBN 4-7700-01532-1
The Essence of Aikido: Spiritual Teachings of Morihei Ueshiba, John Stevens (ed.), 1993
ISBN 4-7700-1727-8
The Art of Peace: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido, John Stevens (ed.), 1992
ISBN 0-87773-851-3
O-Sensei’s son has written several excellent books. All of them deserve more than one reading.
Aikido, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, 1985
ISBN 0-87040-629-9
The Spirit of Aikido, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, 1984
ISBN 0-87011-600-2 (hardcover; also available in paperback)
The Art of Aikido: Principles and Essential Techniques, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, 2004
ISBN 4-7700-2945-4
