The Masters
Morihei Ueshiba
By FightingSpirit.Biz
Apr 3, 2006

Master Morihei Ueshiba

When was aikido established? Morihei Ueshiba was once quoted as saying "the day I was born". The statement is well founded. Born on 14 December 1883 to a farming family in Tanabe, Morihei Ueshiba was the only son in a family of five children and seemed to inherit an array of skills befitting a true samurai. Despite his small stature, and a weak constitution in his early teenage years, he was determined to gain strength. Initially, this came through jujutsu but he actively investigated many styles of martial arts while travelling in Tokyo. By the time he was 20 he had received a diploma from the great ryu, Yagyu, for his expertise in sword skills.

The opportunity for increasing his strength further came with his military training during the Russo-Japanese War. After the war, he was eager to return to his studies of jujutsu but his health deteriorated. Remaining dedicated to physical training, Ueshiba turned to judo to rebuild his strength. On moving to Hokkaido in 1912, he found the path that eventually changed his life. Grand master Sokaku Takeda had opened a private ryu in the district and, on becoming aware of the exceptional skills and impressive self-control of Ueshiba, accepted him as a pupil. Devoted to his master, Ueshiba eventually returned to Shirataki and built a new dojo for him. By the age of 33 he was appointed master of jujutsu at the Daito ryu, and the basic elements of modern aikido still stem from this teaching.

With the onset of his father’s serious ill health, Ueshiba gifted his dojo to Master Takeda but when his father passed way he sold off his ancestral land and moved to Ayabe. These events deeply affected Ueshiba and he made the decision to devote the rest of his life to discovering the secret of budo. Living in solitary confinement for some four years, and only meeting with Reverend Deguchi (founder of a Shinto sect) for spiritual enhancement, Ueshiba prepared to establish his own style.

In the summer of 1927 he moved to Tokyo and the number of his influential followers grew considerably. Ueshiba completed his training centre of excellence (called kobukan) in 1931, which is today the site of the Aikido World Headquarters.

Until 1942 Ueshiba was fully occupied with teaching at the kobukan but during the war years he yearned to return to his farming roots. His only son, Kisshomaru, remained at the kobukan, and Ueshiba moved to the village of Iwama to build an outdoor dojo and a Shinto temple. It was here that Ueshiba perfected the religious philosophy and consolidated the techniques for what became known as aikido. Receiving many decorations from the Japanese government, his teachings spread throughout the world and he became famously known as O Sensei (the Grand Master).

Giving his final instructions "aikido is for the entire world .. train not for selfish reasons, but for all people everywhere", O Sensei died after a short illness on 26 April 1969, aged 86.

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