True Budo is to accept thespirit of theuniverse, keep thepeace of theworld, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings innature.Shihonage is the foundation ofAikido. All you ever need to master isshihonage.Each and every master, regardless of the era or the place, heard the call and attained harmony withheaven andearth. There are many paths leading to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one summit —love.To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing ahuman being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter — it is theArt ofPeace, thepower oflove.
As quoted inTraditional Aikido (1974) byMorihiro Saito, p. 38
I felt theuniverse suddenly quake, and that a goldenspirit sprang up from the ground, veiled my body, and changed my body into a golden one. At the sametime my body becamelight. I was able to understand the whispering of the birds, and was clearly aware of themind ofGod, the creator of the universe. At that moment I was enlightened: the source ofBudo isGod'slove — the spirit of loving protection forall beings … Budo is not the felling of an opponent byforce; nor is it a tool to lead theworld to destruction with arms.True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep thepeace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings innature.
An account of an experience of transcendent awareness, soon after a contest where, unarmed, he defeated a naval officer armed with abokken (wooden sword) without harming him; as quoted inAikido (1985) by Kisshomaru Ueshiba
As quoted inAbundant Peace: The Biography of Morihei Ueshiba (1987) by John Stevens
Shihonage is the foundation of Aikido. All you ever need to master isshihonage.
Shihonage (orShiho-nage the "Four Corner Throw") is a technique of maintaining control over an opponent in Aikido, as quoted inAikido Shugyo (1991) byGōzō Shioda, p. 61
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.
As quoted inAikido Shugyo (1991) byGōzō Shioda, p. 79
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.
As quoted inIt's A Lot Like Dancing… : An Aikido Journey (1993 by Terry Dobson Riki Moss, and Jan E. Watson - [[Special:BookSources/9781883319021|ISBN 9781883319021]]
In a real battle,atemi is seventy percent, technique is thirty percent.
As quoted inTotal Aikido (1997) byGōzō Shioda, p. 24
As quoted inEnlightenment Through Aikido (2004) by Kanshu Sunadomari, p. 135
TheArt ofPeace begins with you.Work on yourself and your appointedtask in the Art of Peace. Everyone has aspirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow.You are here to realize your innerdivinity and manifest your innateenlightenment. Foster peace in your ownlife and then apply the Art to all than you encounter.
As quoted inInspire! What Great Leaders Do (2004) by Lance Secretan, p. 45
Each and every master, regardless of the era or the place, heard the call and attainedharmony withheaven andearth.There are many paths leading to the top of Mount Fuji, but there is only one summit —love.
Morihei Ueshiba, as quoted inYou Can Save the Earth: 7 Reasons Why and 7 Simple Ways, a Philosophy for the Future (2008) by Hatherleigh, Sean K. Smith, and Andrew Flach, p. 92
The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terriblemistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing ahuman being can do.The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter — it is theArt ofPeace, thepower oflove.
Speaking of a vision of the "Great Spirit of Peace" in 1942, during World War II, as quoted inAdjusting Though Reflex : Romancing Zen (2010) by Rodger Hyodo, p. 76
As your Bujutsu [Martial Technique] training approachesperfection 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)
TrueBudo is practiced not only to destroy anenemy, it must also make him, or his own will, gladly lose his spirit (seishin) to oppose you. (p. 26)
True Budo is done for the sake of "buildingpeace". Train every day so as to makepeace between thisspirit [Budo] and all things manifested on theface of theEarth. (p. 26)
When facing the realm oflife anddeath in the form of anenemy'ssword, one must be firmly settled inmind 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
Regarding technique, from ancient times it has been said that movements must fly likelightning and attacks must strike likethunder.
p. 33
Always imagine yourself on the battlefield under the fiercest attack; never forget this crucial element of training.
Move like a beam oflight; Fly likelightning, Strike likethunder, Whirl incircles around A stable center. Depending on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing likewater, or as empty as space.
One does not need buildings,money,power, or status to practice theArt ofPeace.Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.
As soon as you concern yourself with the "good" and "bad" of your fellows, you create an opening in yourheart formaliciousness to enter.Testing, competing with, and criticizing others weakens and defeats you.
Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, andbadpeople. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in theArt ofPeace.
Even the most powerful human being has a limited sphere ofstrength. Draw him outside of that sphere and into your own, and his strength will dissipate.
Fosterpeace in your ownlife and then apply theArt to all that you encounter.
If your opponent strikes withfire, counter withwater, becoming completely fluid and free-flowing.Water, by itsnature, never collides with or breaks against anything. On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.
In our techniques we enter completely into, blend totally with, and control firmly an attack.Strength resides where one'ski is concentrated and stable; confusion andmaliciousness arise when ki stagnates.
In theArt ofPeace we never attack. An attack isproof 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.
One should be prepared to receive ninety-nine percent of anenemy's attack andstaredeath right in theface in order to illumine the Path.
Techniques employ four qualities that reflect thenature of ourworld.Depending on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing likewater, or as empty as space.
The Art of Peace is the principle of nonresistance. Because it is nonresistant, it isvictorious from thebeginning. Those withevil intentions or contentiousthoughts are instantly vanquished.The Art of Peace is invincible because it contends withnothing.
Agood stance and posture reflect a proper state ofmind.
The real Art of Peace is not tosacrifice a single one of your warriors to defeat anenemy.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, theArt ofPolitics, is to stoptrouble before it starts. It consists in defeating your adversaries spiritually by making them realize thefolly of theiractions.The Way of a Warrior is to establishharmony.
There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests withnothing. Defeat means to defeat themind of contention that we harbor within.
To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To controlaggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.
When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.
Whenlife is victorious, there isbirth; when it is thwarted, there isdeath.A warrior is always engaged in a life-and-death struggle forPeace.
When you bow deeply to theuniverse, it bows back; when you call out the name ofGod, it echoes inside you.
Inorder to establish heaven on earth, we need aBudo that is pure inspirit, that is devoid ofhatred andgreed. 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 forreason or another.In Aikido, however, we try to completely avoid killing, even the mostevilperson.
