Morihei Ueshiba Quotes

90 Sourced Quotes

INSTRUCTORS CAN impart a fraction of the teaching. It is through your own devoted practice that the mysteries of the Art of Peace are brought to life.

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

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

Morihei Ueshiba
If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right through them and avoid their attacks. And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth.

Morihei Ueshiba
Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
The key to good technique is to keep your hands, feet, and hips straight and centered. If you are centered, you can move freely.

Morihei Ueshiba
The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
Ultimately, you must forget about technique. The further you progress, the fewer teachings there are. The Great Path is really NO PATH.

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

Morihei Ueshiba
THE TOTALLY AWAKENED warrior can freely utilize all elements contained in heaven and earth. The true warrior learns how to correctly perceive the activity of the universe and how to transform martial techniques into vehicles of purity, goodness, and beauty. A warrior's mind and body must be permeated with enlightened wisdom and deep calm.

Morihei Ueshiba
The Divine does not like to be shut up in a building. The Divine likes to be out in the open. It is right here in this very body. Each one of us is a miniature universe, a living shrine.

Morihei Ueshiba
I felt the universe suddenly quake, and that a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled my body, and changed my body into a golden one. At the same time my body became light. I was able to understand the whispering of the birds, and was clearly aware of the mind of God, the creator of the universe.
At that moment I was enlightened: the source of Budo is God's love — the spirit of loving protection for all beings … Budo is not the felling of an opponent by force; nor is it a tool to lead the world to destruction with arms. True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature.

Morihei Ueshiba
Your mind should be in harmony with the functioning of the universe; your body should be in tune with the movement of the universe; body and mind should be bound as one, unified with the activity of the universe.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything - even mountains, rivers, plants and trees - should be your teacher.

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

Morihei Ueshiba
Progress comes to those who train and train; reliance on secret techniques will get you nowhere.

Morihei Ueshiba
Face a single foe as if you are facing ten thousand enemies; face ten thousand enemies as a single foe.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
Master the divine techniques of the Art of Peace and no enemy will dare to challenge you.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

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

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

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

Morihei Ueshiba
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.

Morihei Ueshiba