The Roots of Aikido

Martial arts training. Extensive study of Daito-ryu jujutsu and a variety of other arts provided the basic forms (defensive tactics) which he shaped into Aikido training practices.

Farming. All his life, Osensei loved to cultivate the land. It was his way of being close to nature and practicing his self-sufficiency.

Philosophy training. Osensei received a classical Japanese education, with much emphasis on ancient literature and religion. His study of Omoto Kyo (a variety of Shinto) probably led him to the world view that made his development of Aikido possible.

Weapons training. Osensei studied a wide variety of arts, including staff, spear, and sword. Aikido probably owes much of its circularity and control of distance to kenjutsu (Japanese sword arts).

Ai-Ki-Do
Ai (harmony, blending) Ki (life energy) Do (way)

Sharing his understanding

Osensei (Japanese for "great teacher") often lecured about the nature of the universe and how his art exemplified this understanding . . .

. . . and he taught by example throughout his life.

And through those he taught, Aikido is passed around the world and into the future.

Students of
Morihei Ueshiba(1883-1969)

Earliest Students
(1921-1935)

Pre-war Students
(1936-1945)

Family line of succesion:

Kisshomaru Ueshiba
founder's son
(recently deceased)

Post-war Students
(1946-1955)

Latest Students
(1956-1969)

Noriaki Inoue
(1921)

Bansen Tanaka
(1936)

Moriteru Ueshiba
founder's grandson

Morihiro Saito
(1946)

Akira Tohei
(c. 1956)

Isamu Takeshita
(1925)

Koichi Tohei
(1939)

Hiroshi Tada
(1947)

Y. Yamada
(1957)

Kenji Tomiki
(1925)

Tentyu
(c. 1939)

S. Arikawa
(1947)

Katsuaki Asai
(c. 1958)

Hisao Kamata
(c. 1929)

Minoru Hirai
(c. 1940)

Shoji Nishio
(1951)

Kazuo Chiba
(1958)

Ikkusai Iwata
(1930)

Kisaburo Osawa
(c. 1940)

S. Yamaguchi
(c. 1951)

Seiichi Sugano
(1959)

K. Funahashi
(1930)

K. Sunadomari
(1942)

M. Hikitsuchi
(c. 1951)

Mitsunari Kanai
(1959)

M. Mochizuchi
(1930)

Tadashi Abe
(c. 1942)

Masamichi Noro
(c. 1951)

M. Saotome
(c. 1959)

M. Hashimoto
(c. 1931)

Seiseki Abe
(c. 1952)

S. Maruyama
(c. 1959)

A. Murashige
(c. 1931)

N. Tamura
(c. 1953)

Terry Dobson
(c. 1960)

Rinjiro Shirata
(1931) Y. Kuroiwa
(c. 1954) N. Ichihashi
(c. 1960)

T. Yukawa
(c. 1931) Y.Kobayashi
(1955) S. Masuda
(c. 1960)

S. Yonekawa
(c. 1931) André Nocquet
(1955) M. Suganuma
(c. 1962)

Gozo Shioda
(1932) S. Imaizumi
(c. 1962)

Z. Akazawa
(c. 1933) K. Maruyama
(c. 1962)

Takuma Hisa
(1935, Osaka) Seishiro Endo
(c. 1962)

Kenji Shimizu
(c. 1963)

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