Kisshomaru Ueshiba (1921-1999), is regarded as a man who embodied the spirit of aikido, as inherited from his father, Morihei Ueshiba, akido's founder. <em>The Spirit of Aikido</em> is his masterpiece, and regarded as a seminal work on the discipline, and on martial arts in general. In this classic discourse, Ueshiba concisly explains the essence of aikido's philosophy and techniques.<br><br>Long available in paperback, <em>The Spirit of Aikido</em> will now be published in a hardcover edition, with new photos and a preface by Moriteru Ueshiba, the third and present Aikido Doshu (headmaster) and the author's son.<br><br>Aikido--a modern Japanese martial art unique in its synthesis of classic forms with a well-defined spiritual base--offers a key to the art of living naturally and unselfishly in a complicated world. This book explains it in reference to the founder's philosophy of mind--and action. In addition, the history of aikido's prewar development as a noncompetitive new martial art is described in the context of its international role.