When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way.
Never fear another challenger, no matter how large; Never despise another challenger, no matter how small.
True budo is a work of love. It is a work of giving life to all beings, and not killing or struggling with each other. Love is the guardian deity of everything. Nothing can exist without it. Aikido is the realization of love.
To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must: Calm the spirit and return to the source. Cleanse the body and spirit by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire. Be ever grateful for the gifts received from the universe, your family, Mother nature, and your fellow human beings.
Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep mountain and hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life.
Around 2am as I was performing misogi, I suddenly forgot all the martial techniques I had ever learned. The techniques of my teachers appeared completely new. Now they were vehicles for the cultivation of life, knowledge, and virtue, not devices to throw people with.
True victory does not come from defeating an enemy, true victory comes from giving love and changing an enemy’s heart.
Aikido is based on the projection of love.
Aikido is love. It is the path that brings our heart into oneness with the spirit of the universe to complete our mission in life by instilling in us a love and reverence for all of nature.
Focus on stillness, rather than on movement.
In a real battle, atemi is seventy percent, technique is thirty percent.
Shihonage is the foundation of Aikido. All you ever need to master is shihonage.
Peace originates with the flow of things – its heart is like the movement of the wind and waves. The Way is like the veins that circulate blood through our bodies, following the natural flow of the life force. If you are separated in the slightest from that divine essence, you are far off the path.
In your training, do not be in a hurry, for it takes a minimum of ten years to master the basics and advance to the first rung. Never think of yourself as an all-knowing, perfected master; you must continue to train daily with your friends and students and progress together in the Art of Peace.
The penetrating brilliance of swords, wielded by followers of the Way, strikes at the evil enemy, lurking deep within, their own souls and bodies.
If you have not linked yourself to true emptiness, you will never understand the art of peace.
In extreme situations, the entire universe becomes our foe; at such critical times, unity of mind and technique is essential – do not let your heart waver!
The best strategy relies upon an unlimited set of responses.
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.
Fill yourself with Ki, invite the attack.
Atemi accounts for 99% of Aikido.