Aikido History

Aikido is a Japanese martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). American martial arts actor Steven Seagal helped popularize it in his movies.

Ueshiba, referred to as O Sensei (great teacher), founded aikido to deviate from military style martial arts practiced by the samurai, such as jujutsu. He used aikido to work toward peace and established his first dojo in 1928, the Kokubai.

Ueshiba established the Aikikai Foundation based in Tokyo, which the Japanese government officially recognized in 1940. The foundation is the parent organization for aikido clubs and organizations throughout the world and preserves Ueshiba's ideals while promoting aikido.

After Ueshiba's death, his son Kisshomaru Ueshiba became aikido doshu (head of the way). Doshu is the Aikikai Foundation's highest authority. Kisshomaru's son (the founder's grandson), Moriteru Ueshiba, became doshu after Kisshomaru's death in 1999.

Aikido's growth in the United States began in the 1960s when a group of aikido shihan (master teachers) left Japan and moved abroad to teach the aikido they learned from O Sensei. They became the pioneers of aikido's international growth throughout North and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the Middle East. The shihan were Yoshimitsu Yamada (New York Aikikai, chairman of the U.S. Aikido Federation), Akira Tohei (1929-1999, founder of the Midwest Aikido Center in Chicago), T.K. Chiba (San Diego Aikikai, head of the U.S. Aikido Federation, Western region), Mitsunari Kanai (1938-2004, founder of the New England Aikikai in Cambridge, Mass.), Seiichi Sugano (New York Aikikai), Yukio Kawahara (Vancouver Aikikai), Yutaka Kurita (Kurita Juku Aiki in Mexico City), Ichiro Shibata (Berkeley Aikikai) and Nobuyoshi Tamura in Europe.

Sources: Aikido Online, Aikikai Foundation Web site and Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.