A Brief History

    In early 20th-century Japan, involvement in martial arts was a competitive and dangerous business.  Contests, feuds and rivalries often resulted in injuries and death.  The formulation of Aikido dates from an incident that occured in 1925.  In the course of a discussion about martial arts, a disagreement arose between Morihei Ueshiba (O'Sensei or Great Teacher) and a naval officer who was a fencing instructor.  The officer challenged O'Sensei to a match, and attacked him with a wooden sword.  O'Sensei faced the officer unarmed, and won the match by evading blows until his attacker dropped from exhaustion.  He later recalled that he could see his opponent's moves before they were executed, and that this was the beginning of his enlightenment.  He had defeated an armed attacker without hurting him; without even touching him.

    O'sensei continued to practice and teach Aikido into his old age.  Observers would marvel at his martial abilities, vitality, and good humor; he was still giving public demonstrations of Aikido at age 86, four months before his death.  After he passed away on April 26, 1969, the Japanese government posthumously declared Morihei Ueshiba a Sacred National Treasure of Japan.

O'Sensei's son Kisshomaru Ueshiba, inherited the title Doshu ("Leader of the Way").  The grandson of O'sensei, Moriteru Ueshiba, is the current Doshu and continues his father's work at Aikido World Headquarters ( Hombu Dojo ) in Tokyo.  Today, men, women and children in over fifty countries practice Aikido.