Morihei Ueshiba Quotes

Morihei Ueshiba offers serene, gritty guidance on Aikido, gratitude, and inner peace, ideal for those seeking calm strength.

61 quotes

1. Atemi accounts for 99% of Aikido.

2. I am the Universe.

3. Shihonage is the foundation of Aikido. All you ever need to master is shihonage.

4. Kicking leaves you momentarily on one foot, and for that moment you are in a very weak position. If you were to be swept off your feet, you would be finished. This is why lifting your feet off the ground is crazy.

5. In a real battle, atemi is seventy percent, technique is thirty percent.

6. Aikido is Love.

7. As your Bujutsu [Martial Technique] training approaches perfection you will be able to detect the suki [opening/weakness] [in your enemy's technique], even before he can, and as if to satisfy some deficiency in him, you can fill the suki with your technique. (p. 26)

8. True Budo is practiced not only to destroy an enemy, it must also make him, or his own will, gladly lose his spirit (seishin) to oppose you. (p. 26)

9. True Budo is done for the sake of 'building peace'. Train every day so as to make peace between this spirit [Budo] and all things manifested on the face of the Earth. (p. 26)

10. When facing the realm of life and death in the form of an enemy's sword, one must be firmly settled in mind and body, and not at all intimidated; without providing your opponent the slightest opening, control his mind in a flash and move where you will - straight, diagonally, or in any other appropriate direction. (p. 31)

11. Regarding technique, from ancient times it has been said that movements must fly like lightning and attacks must strike like thunder. (p. 33)

12. Always imagine yourself on the battlefield under the fiercest attack; never forget this crucial element of training. (p. 36)

13. As soon as you concern yourself with the 'good' and 'bad' of your fellows, you create an opening in your heart for maliciousness to enter. Testing, competing with, and criticizing others weakens and defeats you.

14. Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.

15. Even the most powerful human being has a limited sphere of strength. Draw him outside of that sphere and into your own, and his strength will dissipate.

16. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.

17. If your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely fluid and free-flowing. Water, by its nature, never collides with or breaks against anything. On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.

18. In our techniques we enter completely into, blend totally with, and control firmly an attack. Strength resides where one's ki is concentrated and stable; confusion and maliciousness arise when ki stagnates.

19. In the Art of Peace 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. Let attackers come any way they like and then blend with them. Never chase after opponents. Redirect each attack and get firmly behind it.

20. Instructors can impart only a fraction of the teaching. It is through your own devoted practice that the mysteries of the Art of Peace are brought to life.

21. Move like a beam of light; Fly like lightning, Strike like thunder, Whirl in circles around A stable center.

22. One should be prepared to receive ninety-nine percent of an enemy's attack and stare death right in the face in order to illumine the Path.

23. Techniques employ four qualities that reflect the nature of our world. Depending on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing like water, or as empty as space.

24. The Art of Peace is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On occasion the Voice of Peace resounds like thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor.

25. The Art of Peace is the principle of nonresistance. Because it is nonresistant, it is victorious from the beginning. Those with evil intentions or contentious thoughts are instantly vanquished. The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends with nothing.

26. The real Art of Peace is not to sacrifice a single one of your warriors to defeat an enemy. Vanquish your foes by always keeping yourself in a safe and unassailable position; then no one will suffer any losses. The Way of a Warrior, the Art of Politics, is to stop trouble before it starts. It consists in defeating your adversaries spiritually by making them realize the folly of their actions. The Way of a Warrior is to establish harmony.

27. There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.

28. To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.

29. When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.

30. When life is victorious, there is birth; when it is thwarted, there is death. A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle for Peace.

31. When you bow deeply to the universe, it bows back; when you call out the name of God, it echoes inside you.

32. May the Kami of Earth and Heaven watch our acts of purification.

33. In order to establish heaven on on earth, we need a Budo that is pure in spirit, that is devoid of hatred and greed. It must follow natural principles and harmonize the material with the spiritual. Aikido means not to kill. Although nearly all creeds have a commandment against taking life, most of them justify killing for reason or another. In Aikido, however, we try to completely avoid killing, even the most evil person.

34. Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.

35. To practice Aikido fully you must calm the spirit and go back to the origin.

36. Each person is the universe from a particular perspective.

37. The best strategy relies upon an unlimited set of responses.

38. Cast off limiting thoughts and return to true emptiness. Stand in the midst of the great void. This is the secret of the Way of a Warrior.

39. In true budo there is no enemy or opponent. True budo is to become one with the universe, not train to become powerful or to throw down some opponent. Rather we train in hopes of being of some use, however small our role may be, in the task of bringing peace to mankind around the world.

40. The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited.

41. Fill yourself with Ki, invite the attack.

42. Polish the heart, free the six senses and let them function without obstruction, and your entire body will glow.

43. THE ART OF PEACE does not rely on weapons or brute force to succeed; instead, we put ourselves in tune with the universe, maintain peace in our own realms, nurture life, and prevent death and destruction. The true meaning of the term samurai is one who serves and adheres to the power of love.

44. Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.

45. Each and every master, regardless of the era or the place, heard the call and attained harmony with heaven and earth. There are many paths leading to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one summit - love.

46. A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind.

47. EACH DAY OF HUMAN life contains joy and anger, pain and pleasure, darkness and light, growth and decay. Each moment is etched with nature’s grand design-do not try to deny or oppose the cosmic order of things.

48. THE TECHNIQUES OF the Art of Peace are neither fast nor slow, nor are they inside or outside.. They transcend time and space.

49. Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment.

50. Those who are enlightened never stop forging themselves.

51. Aikido is the Way and Principle of harmonizing Heaven, Earth and Man.

52. All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love.

53. Foster and polish the warrior spirit while serving in the world; illuminate the path according to your inner light.

54. Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.

55. The real purpose of the martial arts must be to purge oneself of petty ambitions and desire, to obtain control of one’s own character.

56. Your voice is a very powerful weapon. When you are in tune with the cosmic breath of heaven and earth, your voice produces true sounds. Unify body, mind, and speech, and real techniques will emerge.

57. Aikido is the spirit of loving protection for all beings.

58. YOUR HEART IS FULL of fertile seeds, waiting to sprout. Just as a lotus flower springs from the mire to bloom splendidly, the interaction of the cosmic breath causes the flower of the spirit to bloom and bear fruit in this world.

59. THE BODY SHOULD be triangular, the mind circular. The triangle represents the generation of energy and is the most stable physical posture. The circle symbolizes serenity and perfection, the source of unlimited techniques. The square stands for solidity, the basis of applied control.

60. EACH AND EVERY master, regardless of the era or place, heard the call and attained harmony with heaven and earth. There are many paths leading to the peak of Mount Fuji, but the goal is the same. There are many methods of reaching the top, and they all bring us to new heights. There is no need to battle with each other-we are all brothers and sisters who should walk the Path together, hand in hand. Keep to your Path, and nothing else will matter. When you lose your desire for things that do not matter, you will be free.

61. Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.