The Founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba 1883 - 1969
Known to many as O'Sensei (Great Teacher) Morihei Ueshiba devoted his whole life to the study of martial arts. As a young man he studied various forms of martial arts, including Judo, Aiki-Ju-Jutsu, Spear, Staff and various forms of Sword.
The Founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba
By 1912 he had moved to Hokkaido, in the north of Japan helping to establish a settlement Town. Here he encountered the Great Sokaku Takeda, a fierce and eccentric master of Daito-Ryu Aiki- Ju-Jutsu. After several years serving his teacher Morihei Ueshiba departed from Hokkaido heading home to be at the side of his dying father.
It was around this time that Morihei Ueshiba opened his first dojo and began teaching Daito-Ryu Aiki-Ju-Jutsu. By 1926 with the rise in popularity Morihei Ueshiba renamed his martial arts Aiki-Budo.
By 1931 Morihei Ueshiba opened the Kobukan Dojo which would later become the headquaters of aikido situated in Tokyo and known to many as Aikikai. By 1941 Morihei Ueshiba left the hectic life of Tokyo and headed for a small town called Iwama two hours north of Tokyo.
By 1945 Morihei Ueshiba completed the famous Iwama Dojo and it was here that Aikido was born.
Spending the remaining years of his life creating and finalizing the techniques of Aikido. Morihei Ueshiba passed away in 1969 leaving the Iwama Dojo to his closest disciple and longest serving student of 23 years Morihiro Saito Sensei.