Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba (植芝盛平 Ueshiba Morihei, December 14th, 1883 - April 26, 1969) was a famous martial artist and founder of Aikido. Known as O Sensei ("Great Teacher" or "Grand Master") by Aikidoka.

Morihei was born in Wakayama Prefecture (now Tanabe), Japan.

Morihei Ueshiba's Art of Aikido is heavily influenced by his study of Daito-ryu Aiki-jutsu which he was instructed in by Sokaku Takeda. On the spiritual side he was influenced by Onisaburo Deguchi , founder of the pacifistic Omoto-kyo sect. During his childhood, the Ueshibas lived in Maizuru (Kyoto Prefecture). O-Sensei also spent time as a farmer on the northern island of Hokkaido with his wife. This was followed by a trip to China and Mongolia.

In 1927 master Ueshiba moved to Tokyo where he founded his first dojo, which still exists today under the name Hombu Dojo. In 1942 he left Tokyo and moved to the prefecture of Iwama where the term Aikido was first used as a name for his art. Ueshiba gained national prominence as a skilled martial artist when he defeated an Imperial Navy officer (highly skilled in kendo)in a martial arts match in Tokyo. In 1946 Morihiro Saito began studying under O-Sensei in Iwama which he did until Ueshiba’s passing in 1969. In 1959 Itsuo Tsuda also began studying under O-Sensei. Morihiro Saito became keeper of the Aiki Shrine in Iwama after O-Sensei's death.

His son Kisshomaru Ueshiba became the second Doshu, the official heir and maintainer of Aikido, until his death in January 4th, 1999; the current Aikido Doshu is Kisshomaru Ueshiba's son Moriteru Ueshiba.

Many of today's top ranking Aikido shihan were students of O-Sensei.

Many anecdotal (and many also witnessed) stories exist about O-Sensei's martial skill. It is said he was able to escape a tight ring of students that surrounded him with swords. Many of these students would later say they had not even seen O-Sensei go by them.

Ueshiba regularly practiced cold-water misogi.

Hitohiro Saito, one of Ueshiba's students, says "to learn more about O-Sensei one should read his doka (poems) and study his calligraphy. Photos and video tapes give us a certain direct feeling of connection with O-Sensei, but his poems and calligraphy communicate more subtly with us. They are truly wonderful and profound."[1]

Oomoto priests oversee a ceremony in Ueshiba's honor every April 29th at the Aiki Shrine at Iwama.

External links

• "The Art of Peace", by O-Sensei
• A Day in the Life of the Founder Morihei Ueshiba, April 1968 - By Gaku Homma Sensei, Nippon Kan Kancho