The standard spiel about Aikido being The Way of Harmony is not what this book is about. Sure, it is fine to harmonise with life, the universe, and everything, man, but to me, after many years of being led nowhere, it is time to return to the beginning and define Aikido for what it really is - The Way of Aiki. With such a definition, the path is set - but where are those to provide direction? The methods are, it seems, either secret, or unknown. Indeed, even those that appear to have something are usually unable to easily pass it on to even their most eager students. I have been meandering in the dark for too long and this book represents my attempt to come to terms with that to make some sense of this classical mess. I do not claim to have mastered anything at all; rather, to be completely honest, I feel as though I have simply started again.