“Students practice Aikido for various reasons, and often these reasons can

overlap. For some the practice of Aikido is a fun exercise, for others a step on

the path to enlightenment, or even the chance to socialize with like-minded

folks. For me, Aikido is also many things, but primarily a study and practice of

universal principles.” Excerpt from essay by Darren Brooks ,on the occasion of his promotion to shodan, December 2018