The Founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba was the youngest and only son of four children.  MORIHEI UESHIBA, born in Western Japan in 1883, is the founder of the popular martial art of Aikido.  Morihei Ueshiba is considered one of the world’s foremost martial artists due to his creation of the art Aikido.  Morihei Ueshiba's Art of Aikido is heavily influenced by his study of Daito-ryu Aiki-jutsu which he was instructed in by Takeda Sokaku.  Morihei Ueshiba is referred to by the practitioners of Aikido as O-Sensei, "The Great Teacher".

Aikido

Aikido was founded early in the 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba, or as he is know within Aikido: O'Sensei, (anhonorific term for a great teacher.  Aikido is becoming established all over, but it will have a different expression in each place it takes root.  Aikido is not for a single country or anyone in particular.  Aikido should be practiced from the time you rise to greet the morning to the time you retire at night.  Aikido's training methods are based on Professor Ueshiba's deep faith in the 'austere training for the sake of improving the human spirit through tireless polishing and perfection of the mind and body'.

Dojo aikido

Ueshiba also regularly observed instruction of KASHIMA SHINTO-RYU from three senior teachers of this school who taught for two or three years beginning in 1937 on his invitation at the KOBUKAN DOJO in Tokyo.  In 1927 master Ueshiba moved to Tokyo where he founded his first dojo, which still exists today under the name Hombu Dojo.  His father built a dojo on his farm and invited the well-known Jujutsu instructor Takaki Kiyoichi to tutor him.  He greatly enjoyed his study of Jujutsu at the Kito-ryu dojo and Swordsmanship at the Shinkage Ryu training center.

Iwama

Iwama is considered by many to be the birth place of modern-day Aikido, "the Way of Harmony.  Iwama Aikido includes the aiki weapons of Saito Sensei longest serving student of O'Sensei along with Gozo Shioda, Kenji Tomiki was an envoy of the late Great Jigoro kano founder of Judo, Koichi Tohei.  Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, he resigned from his teaching posts in Tokyo, which included several military schools, and retired to IWAMA.  He repeatedly stated that it was in Iwama that he perfected modern aikido.  Morihiro Saito became keeper of the Aiki shrine in Iwama after O'Sensei's death.

Japan

Ueshiba received the Medal of Honor with the Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government in 1960.  Living in the turbulent time of Japan's modernization, he dedicated himself to establishing a martial art that would meet the needs of contemporary peoplebut would not be an anachronism.  The local area where he was brought up was known for its ancient Japanese mysticism and its many shrines.  Although Aikido originated with Morihei in Japan, it was intended to be a gift for all humankind.

Sokaku Takeda

Takeda awarded Ueshiba a kyoji dairi certificate, making him an official instructor of Daito-ryu Aiki Jujutsu.  Takeda was an expert in the use of the sword, shuriken, tanto, and iron-fan, as well as several other weapons.  It seems likely that Ueshiba took part in additional seminars taught by Takeda.  He gradually separated himself from Sokaku Takeda and began calling his art AIKI BUDO.  He met 54 year old Sokaku Takeda three years later in Engaru.

Deguchi

The founder of aikido was also influenced philosophically and religiously by the OMOTO RELIGION, especially the thinking of Reverend Onisaburo DEGUCHI.  Ueshiba was very impressed with Deguchi, and subsequently became one of his disciples.  On the spiritual side he was influenced by Deguchi Onisaburo, founder of the pacifistic Omoto-kyo sect.  For the next eight years, Ueshiba studied with Deguchi Onisaburo, taught Budo, and headed up the local fire brigade.  However, it did not take long for Deguchi to realize that Ueshiba's purpose on earth was " to teach the real meaning of Budo: an end to all fighting and contention.