The Gentleness Of Force
Always assume that your opponent is going to be bigger, stronger and faster than you;
so that you learn to rely on technique, timing and leverage
rather than brute strength.
It is much more impressive to beat an opponent with proper technique than with brute force.
Apply just the right amount of force —
never too much, never too little.
In Aikido we never attack.
An attack is proof that one is out of control.
Never run away from any kind of challenge,
but do not try to suppress or control an opponent unnaturally.
When one has reached maturity in the art, one will have a formless form.
It is like ice dissolving in water.
When one has no form, one can be all forms;