The founder · 1883–1969
Morihei Ueshiba, O Sensei
The man practitioners call “O Sensei”, the great teacher, devoted his life to the martial arts before giving them a new direction: aikido.
A life, a way
From warrior to peacemaker
Morihei Ueshiba (植芝盛平) studied several schools of jūjutsu and weaponry, then Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu, before shaping them into a new discipline in which self-mastery matters more than victory. His search was spiritual as much as martial, shaped in particular by his encounter with the Ōmoto movement.
His students call him O Sensei (大先生), “the great teacher”. His portrait hangs at the shōmen of our dojo, as in many others, and we bow towards it at the beginning and end of every class.
正勝吾勝Masakatsu agatsu — true victory is victory over oneself. One of his mottos.
Milestones
From Tanabe to Iwama
The milestones of a life of practice.
- 1883
Born in Tanabe 田辺
On 14 December, in Wakayama Prefecture. A rather frail child, he is encouraged by his father to build his strength through exercise.
- 1901
Jūjutsu in Tokyo 天神真楊流
He studies Tenjin Shin’yō-ryū jūjutsu under Tokusaburō Tozawa.
- 1903
Yagyū-ryū 柳生流
He begins training in Yagyū-ryū under Masakatsu Nakai.
- 1904
The Russo-Japanese War
He serves in the army during the conflict.
- 1915
Meeting Takeda Sōkaku 大東流
In Hokkaidō he meets the master of Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu, and becomes his student.
- 1919–20
Ayabe and Ōmoto 大本
He meets Onisaburō Deguchi, spiritual leader of the Ōmoto movement, and settles in Ayabe, where he opens his first dojo.
- 1931
The Kobukan dojo 皇武館
He opens the Kobukan dōjō in Tokyo, in the Ushigome district.
- 1942
Retreat to Iwama 岩間
He withdraws to Iwama, in Ibaraki Prefecture, where he farms the land and has the Aiki shrine built. It is around this time that the name aikido takes hold.
- 1948
The Aikikai is born 合気会
The Kobukai foundation becomes the Aikikai, which will spread aikido throughout Japan and then the world.
- 1969
Death
Morihei Ueshiba dies on 26 April, aged 85. His son Kisshōmaru succeeds him at the head of the Aikikai.
Legacy
A living lineage
The Aikikai is still led by the Ueshiba family, and the Hombu Dōjō in Tokyo remains the centre of aikido worldwide. Aïkido Club La Côte belongs to this lineage through the Swiss Cultural Aikido Association.