Mayapa Aikido Traditional Martial Art School

Keiko: purify the body
Analyzing Morihei Ueshiba's Art of Peace

Morihei Ueshiba understood that practice is a path to real transformation. Every move well made sharpens character. Every fall teaches you to let go of the unnecessary. In The Art of Peace, it makes it clear that training shapes the body and mind from the inside.

“Learn to let go. Let the techniques become part of your being. ”

When the technique is no longer thought of, the gesture becomes true. Repeated practice doesn't only make you stronger: clean. The body begins to respond accurately, without delay or confusion. At that point, the gist comes along.

“Forget the self, merge with the universe. Your body must become the body of the universe. ”

Keiko is one way back to downtown. Every training day scrapes away the layers of ego, anxiety, the need to impose. Repetition is a purification tool. The body starts to speak without words.

“Hit with the purity of your heart. ”

Ueshiba didn't focus on teaching many techniques, but on letting just one reveal the deep. By repeating without pretense, the gesture is fine-tuned. The body learns to decide without interfering with the mind. That's refinement.

“The art of peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your mission in life. Refine your body, your mind and your spirit. ”

A trained warrior embodies what he has repeated with discipline. Every technique is a door, and every session, an act of inner cleansing.

Gabriel Benitez©

The Priceless Value of Finding a True Teacher.

Finding a good "Teacher" is a priceless blessing. A true Teacher has not only mastered his discipline but also possesses the wisdom and ability to guide and correct his students without worrying if they get offended or decide to abandon him. His only desire is to see his disciples grow, expecting nothing in return beyond their continuous improvement. This is the greatest gesture of love and it's truly priceless.

There is no amount of money that can compensate the value of a good Teacher, because the real cost is the unconditional love he offers. This is something that can only be fully appreciated when one understands the true value of "finding a good Teacher". It is a privilege and honor to be guided by someone who selflessly invests in our growth, and that dedication and commitment are invaluable treasures.

Gabriel Benitez© -

A true father not only teaches his son how to be strong…
but also how to have a heart filled with respect, discipline, and honor.

In the way of the samurai, the greatest victory is not defeating others, but rather overcoming one's own ego, fear, and laziness.

Teach your son Bushido—courage in the face of fear, patience in the face of trials, loyalty to promises, and integrity to always do the right thing.

Because a child raised with discipline, respect, and love…
will grow into a strong man who protects, not harms.

A father's greatest legacy is not material possessions, but the character instilled in his child's soul.

Aikido teach,respect to God,Parent, neighbors,nature

Aikido, a way of forging character.

In martial arts, “forging character” refers to the process of developing mental, emotional, and ethical qualities through constant practice, not just learning combat techniques.

The idea comes that training puts the person in front of real difficulties: fatigue, frustration, fear, discipline, pain, mistakes, competition and responsibility. By going through that repeatedly, the practitioner is building certain virtues.

Some of the most common ones are:
• Discipline → train even if you don't feel like it.
• Perseverance → keep improving even with failure or stagnation.
• Autocontrol → aprender a no reaccionar impulsivamente.
• Humility → accepting corrections and recognizing limits.
• Respect → towards teachers, colleagues and oneself.
• Responsibility → take care of your partner and use force with discretion.
• Confidence → feeling secure without the need to impose yourself.
• Resilience → Tolerating physical and emotional pressure.

In many traditional disciplines such as Aikido, it is considered that the ultimate goal is not to “win fights”, but to improve as a person.

That's why there are practices like:
• greet upon entering the dojo,
• take care of the uniform,
• repeat techniques hundreds of times,
• control the ego,
• helping beginners,
• keep calm under pressure.

The phrase "forge" is used as a metaphor for metal: just as a sword is strengthened with fire and blows, character is strengthened with training, persistence and difficulty.

There is also an important difference:
• Training hard does not guarantee good character.
• Character is formed when training is accompanied by values, reflection and good example from the instructors.

That's why two people can practice the same martial art and develop very different attitudes depending on the approach of the dojo and how they live the practice.

The true Buddha will learn techniques, it is to develop mind, body, and spirit.

Kaitenage is known as the rotary throw.
In the text “Budo“ (1938), O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba describes kaiten as a turn and transform movement.

We unbalance uke by controlling his head and his arm, accessing his center. As uke continues to move forward, we drop down lowering Uke’s head as we sweep the arm vertically up. The availability of the atemi with the knee to Uke’s face addresses correct positioning.

Project outward, not downward, for safe ukemi. Refrain from pushing, extend out with the center and step through. As well, be careful to connect to uke’s center when we project. We are not throwing through the arm only, so the circular move is slightly elliptical. Connection should engage the back and center.
Throw through the body.

G. Breeland, 6th dan ctto

The upper body guides technique while the lower body drives technique. Be strong in foundation whether static or in flow, drop the weight to feel solidity from the ground.

When we move we rarely think about the stabilizing muscles in the leg, the muscles that relax, sink, and balance the body to align, secure and ground. The gift of the body is that movement is so automatically accessible we give it little attention. So decide to create an awareness here.

Grounding gives us a feeling of deep connection that accesses a physical and emotional calm. We become ‘mentally settled’.
Our foundation, though ‘heavy’ is not immobile and rigid, it is dynamic and fluid.
We remain present and receptive. We can create and sense force, strength, power, pressure, and a ‘relaxing’ tension.
While we maintain the flexibility to absorb, rebound, transfer and redirect.

G. Breeland, 6th dan