Maria Borges
Maria Borges Sensei ⋙ Shodan (1st degree black belt)
Began training in Aikido in 2017
Maria first became excited about Aikido after seeing the positive effects it had on the lives of her younger brother, Josh Brown and her son, Sky Borges who both started training in the youth program at Aikido of Santa Cruz when they were six years old. Maria was also drawn to Aikido because of the founder of Aikido, Moreihei Ueshiba O Sensei's, commitment to environmentalism and respect for nature and the preservation of life.
Maria began her own study of martial arts in 2017 while training intensively in Aikido and self-defense at the University of California, Santa Cruz under Yoshi Shibata Sensei.
She continues her practice at Aikido of Santa Cruz under Linda Holiday Sensei, Glen Kimoto Sensei, and Aimen Al Rafai Sensei. Maria is also inspired by and has trained at seminars with Takeshi Yamashima Sensei (8th dan), Mary Heiny Sensei (7th dan), and Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido’s grandson.
Maria has experience teaching adults, teens, and children, and served as a teaching assistant for college-level Aikido and self-defense students at UCSC. Since 2021, she has assisted in and taught youth and teen classes at Aikido of Santa Cruz and is dedicated to helping young people improve their lives by increasing their ability to deal with stress and build calmness and confidence through Aikido practice. She is committed to creating an environment of respect, inclusion and kindness for her students. Maria is also a strong supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights and believes strongly that people from all walks of life need to be treated equally.
Maria’s teaching philosophy includes, as O Sensei said, to “always practice” and teach Aikido “ in a joyful and vibrant manner”, to incorporate qualities of nature into Aikido including how animals move, how plants grow, how water flows and the movements of celestial objects, and to remember that Aikido is “ban yu ai go,” love and protection for all beings.
In addition to Aikido, Maria has a background in non-violent communication and environmental interpretation. She teaches outdoor education classes in ethnobotany and nature awareness. Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from UCSC and is committed to raising awareness of Indigenous history and ongoing presence in California and the Americas. She also enjoys hiking, listening to the language of birds, painting, watching Hayao Miyazaki films, vegan cooking and baking and of course practicing Aikido with her children Sky and Zen.