Morihei Ueshiba - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Morihei Ueshiba

Overview

was a famous martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido

Aikido

is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...

. He is often referred to as "the founder" or , "Great Teacher".
Morihei Ueshiba was born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture

Wakayama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

on December 14, 1883.
The only son of Yoroku and Yuki Ueshiba's five children, Morihei was raised in a somewhat privileged setting. His father was a rich landowner who also traded in lumber and fishing and was politically active.

Quotations

I am the Universe.

As quoted in Abundant Peace: The Biography of Morihei Ueshiba (1987) by John Stevens

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 in Aikido Shugyo (1991) by W:Gozo Shioda|Gōzō Shioda, p. 79

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

As quoted in Total Aikido (1997) by W:Gozo Shioda|Gōzō Shioda, p. 24

Aikido is Love.

As quoted in Enlightenment Through Aikido (2004) by Kanshu Sunadomari, p. 135

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)

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)

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)

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)

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