I thought I'd replied, but I guess it didn't take...
Things I say all the time n class, which I call "Principles," and are generally delivered in sentence form, as that's how I talk....
Let's see. Some of these are from Tomiki aikido, some from Thai-boxing, some from judo, a couple out of my time in BJJ.
Stand up straight. Bend over and you are giving yourself to the other guy, and that's no good. Unless you're that giving of a person.
Get your hands up And get out of the way. At the same time, not in order.
Play in the button-hole. (This one neds translation for people who don't know what I'm saying, repeating actually. It means keep your hands in front of your center, and at your own shoulder level, in a sort of button-hole in the space in front of you. Move you to evade, try to move your arms less.
You keep your rules. Make the other guy break his. You win.
Go around uke, don't try to drag uke around you. Yeah, buddy, I know you outweigh her by 200 pounds, this means you, too. That's just weightlifting.
Keep your center under theirs... well, until it's time to drop it on them. You'll know when.
Same hand, same foot.
Rotation Is Power. And I mean, lots of power. Learn to feel it. (Do a bit of Daito-ryu work)
And so on...