Moreihei Ueshiba 1883 – 1969

Moreihei Ueshiba 1883 – 1969

“Two Words only O’SENSEI”

Morihei Ueshibawas a martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" Kaiso or Ōsensei "Great Teacher".

After being discharged from the Japanese Army in 1907, he moved to Hokkaidō as the head of a pioneer settlement, here he met and studied with Takeda Sokaku, the founder of Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu.

On leaving Hokkaido in 1919, Ueshiba joined the Ōmoto-kyō movement, a Shinto sect, in Ayabe, where he served as a martial arts instructor and opened his first dojo. While in Hokkaidō, he trained diligently with Takeda, the founder of Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu at the Hisada Inn in Engaru, in March 1915. Ueshiba was deeply impressed with Takeda's martial art. He requested formal instruction and began studying Takeda's style of jūjutsu in earnest, going so far as to construct a dojo at his home and inviting his new teacher to be a permanent house guest. He received a kyoju dairi certificate, or teaching license, for the system from Takeda in 1922, when Takeda visited him in Ayabe.He also received a Yagyū Shinkage-ryū sword transmission scroll from Takeda. Ueshiba then became a representative of Daitō-ryū, toured with Takeda as a teaching assistant and taught the system to others.

Ueshiba moved to Tokyo in 1926, where he set up the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. In the aftermath of World War II the dojo was closed, but Ueshiba continued training at another dojo he had set up in Iwama. From the end of the war until the 1960s, he worked to promote aikido throughout Japan and abroad. 

To Learn more about this great great and founder of Aikido watch this DVD.