Budo (武道) translates to mean “military arts.” Nowadays, most of us don’t live in harm’s way and there is no real need to train to fight. At the highest level of training, a warrior realizes that the only true opponent is themselves and that is why O’Sensei said, “In true budo there is no enemy or opponent.” Training reveals to us that we are in fact our greatest opponent and own worst enemy. Thus, our highest level is not to defeat others but to defeat ourselves. To defeat one’s self is to find a place of serenity or in other terms harmony and therefore, as O’Sensei said, “The way of the warrior is to establish harmony.” Harmony is when two or more things come together. In kanjis for Aikido, Ai (合) means “to meet,” Ki (氣) means “energy” and Do (道) translates as “the way of.” Aikido is then the practice of harmonizing energy. Harmony in the beginning of one’s Aikido training is to physically align with the opponents attack or their energy. Later, with O’Sensei’s assertion, harmony can be created within one’s self when the energy of our minds and bodies become one. It is thought that there is only one Ki in the universe and so when the Ki of our minds and bodies become one then our we immediately become one with the universe. This universal harmony then becomes wago (和合) or “peace” and thus the true way of the real warrior is to establish harmony. Harmony is not a destination, but a practice. Please do your best to practice harmony especially now when the world needs it so much.