Newsgroup: it.sport.arti-marziali
Titolo: Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) was history's greatest martial artist. Even
as an old man of eighty, he could disarm any foe, down any number of
attackers, and pin an opponent with a single finger. Although invincible
as a warrior, he was above all a man of peace who detested fighting,
war, and any kind of violence. His way was Aikido, which can be
translated as "The Art of Peace." Morihei Ueshiba is referred to by the
practitioners of Aikido as O Sensei, "The Great Teacher".
The Art of Peace is an ideal, but it developed in real life on many
fronts. Morihei in his youth served as an infantryman in the
Russo-Japanese War, later battled pirates and bandits during an
adventure in Mongolia, and then, after mastering a number of martial
arts, served as an instructor at japan's elite military acadamies.
Throughout his life, however, Morihei was sorely troubled by the
contention and strife that plagued his world: his father's battles with
corrupt politicans and their hired goons, the devastation of war, and
the brutality of his country's military leaders.
Morihei was on a spiritual quest and was transformed by three visions.
The first occurred in 1925, when Morihei was forty-two years old. After
defeating a high-ranking swordsman by avoiding all his cuts and thrusts
(Morihei was unarmed), Morihei went into his garden. "Suddenly the earth
trembled. Golden vapor welled up from the ground and engulfed me. I felt
transformed into a golden image, and my body seemed as light as a
feather. All at once I understood the nature of creation: the Way of a
Warrior is to manifest Divine Love, a spirit that embraces and nurtures
all things. Tears of gratitude and joy streamed down my cheeks. I saw
the entire earth as my home, and the sun, moon, and stars as my intimate
friends. All attachment to material things vanished."
The second vision took place in December of 1940. "Around two o'clock in
the morning as I was performing ritual purification, I suddenly forgot
every martial art technique I ever learned. All of the techniques handed
down from my teachers appeared completely anew. Now they were vehicles
for the cultivation of life, knowledge, virtue, and good sense, not
devices to throw and pin people."
The third vision was in 1942, during the worst of the fighting of World
War II and in one of the darkest periods of human history. Morihei had a
vision of the Great Spirit of Peace, a path that could lead to the
elimination of all strife and the reconciliation of humankind. "The Way
of the Warrior has been misunderstood as a means to kill and destroy
others. Those who seek competition are making a grave mistake. To smash,
injure, or destroy is the worst sin a human being can commit. The real
Way of a Warrior is to prevent slaughter - it is the Art of Peace, the
power of love." Morihei secluded himself in the country and devoted
every minute of his life thereafter to refining and spreading Aikido,
the Art of Peace.
Unlike the authors of old-time warrior classics such as The Art of War
and The Book of Five Rings, which accept the inevitability of war and
emphasize cunning strategy as a means to victory, Morihei understood
that continued fighting - with others, with ourselves, and with the
environment - will ruin the earth. "The world will continue to change
dramatically, but fighting and war can destroy us utterly. What we need
now are techniques of harmony, not those of contention. The Art of Peace
is required, not the Art of War." Morihei taught the Art of Peace as a
creative mind-body discipline, as a practical means of handling
aggression, and as a way of life that fosters fearlessness, wisdom,
love, and friendship. He interpreted the Art of Peace in the broadest
possible sense and believed that its principles of reconciliation,
harmony, cooperation, and empathy could be applied bravely to all the
challenges we face in life - in personal relationships, as we interact
with society, at work and in business, when dealing with nature.
Everyone can be a warrior for peace.
Although Aikido originated with Morihei in Japan, it was intended to be
a gift for all humankind. Some have chosen, or will select in the
future, Aikido as their own particular Way, practicing it on the mats
and applying it to their daily lives. Many more have been and will be
inspired by the universal message of the Art of Peace and its
implications for our world.
  The divine beauty
  Of heaven and earth!
  All creation,
  Members of
  One family.

 Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) was history's greatest martial artist.
Invece tu sei un cretino.
Plonk.
-- 
Namárië Valinor