Morihei Ueshiba: The Life and the Birth of Aikido

Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido. Unlike classical Japanese martial arts, which stressed victory at all costs on the battlefield, Ueshiba O-sensei conceived of Aikido as a means for achieving the peaceful resolution of conflict and promoting harmonious interaction among members of society. Today, the martial art he originated is practiced by more than 300,000 enthusiasts all over the world.

The Mythical Founder

The founder passed away in 1969, and for many of today's practitioners, he has assumed an almost mythical dimension. Yet to convert this most extraordinary individual into a mere icon would render a disservice to the ideal he strove so hard to achieve. What is the origin of Aikido techniques? What influences shape the founder's thinking? It is the early formative years of Morihei Ueshiba which hold the key to an understanding of the uniqueness of modern Aikido.

Early Life and Influences

Let us explore the events of the life of the young Morihei Ueshiba in order to lift the shroud of mystery surrounding the creation of Aikido. Morihei was born in the port town of Tanabe in Wakayama Prefecture on December 14, 1883 as the only son of prominent community member Yoroku Ueshiba. Yoroku was a man of considerable means and served as a town councilman for many years.

Morihei started out as a sickly child, but with his father's encouragement, he engaged in strenuous exercise, gradually achieving robust health. After passing his childhood in his native Tanabe, Morihei spent a period of several months in Tokyo at the age of 17 where he practiced Tenshin Shinyo-ryu Jujutsu. He soon fell ill with beriberi and was forced to return to his native Tanabe to regain his health.

In late 1903, Morihei joined the Japanese Imperial Army shortly before the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. It was during his military service that he engaged in the study of Yagyu-ryu Jujutsu. Back home in Tanabe after distinguishing himself in military service, Morihei spent several restless years during which time he engaged in a brief period of training in Judo about 1910.

Hokkaido and Daito-ryu Jujutsu

During this period, the Japanese government was providing incentives for those hardy individuals who would accept the challenge of settling the northernmost island of Hokkaido. In 1912, seeking a new life of adventure, Morihei led a party of young men from his native Tanabe to a remote area of Hokkaido called Shirataki. There, Ueshiba and the group set about the arduous task of hewing a new life out of the wilderness.

Morihei was a leading citizen in this sparsely populated area and served for a time as a councilman. Life in Hokkaido was very demanding due to the severe weather conditions and backward nature of the area. Farming and logging were the main pursuits of the colonizers of this region.

In 1915, Morihei had his fateful first encounter with Sokaku Takeda of Daito-ryu Jujutsu. This meeting changed the course of the founder's life and the techniques of Daito-ryu left an indelible stamp on the Aikido which would later emerge. Morihei later invited his teacher Takeda to his home in Shirataki to accelerate his learning of the techniques of Daito-ryu.

After a short time, Morihei was awarded scrolls attesting to his proficiency in Daito-ryu Jujutsu. Morihei left Hokkaido suddenly after receiving a telegram in late 1919 informing him that his father was gravely ill. He left his home and most of his possessions with Sokaku Takeda and set out for Tanabe.

Spiritual Awakening and the Omoto Religion

As Morihei was en route to his hometown, another event of great importance in the future development of Aikido was to take place. He detoured to the town of Ayabe near Kyoto to visit the center of the Omoto religion and pray for his father's recovery. It was there he met a most extraordinary individual, the colorful and enigmatic Onisaburo Teguchi.

Teguchi, the prime mover behind the explosive growth of the Omoto religion, was soon to become Morihei's spiritual mentor and Onisaburo's philosophical views would later serve as the ideological basis of Aikido. Arriving too late to comfort his dying father and overcome with grief, Morihei moved his family to Ayabe in the spring of 1920 to seek solace in the Omoto religion. He became an active member of the religious community and a trusted follower of Onisaburo Teguchi.

Morihei's martial arts skills became well known among Omoto believers and with Teguchi's blessing he set aside part of his Ayabe home as a training facility where he taught Daito-ryu Aiki Jujutsu to fellow devotees. He also received Sokaku Takeda for six months in 1922 at which time he was awarded the Kyoju Dai-ri teacher's certification. Ueshiba became part of the inner group of Reverend Teguchi and served as his bodyguard.

The Mongolian Expedition and Return to Japan

Among Onisaburo's grandiose visions was the establishment of a utopian colony in Mongolia which would unite the world's religions. Onisaburo and a party of close associates including Morihei left secretly for the continent in February 1924. Teguchi's group became embroiled in local politics and obtained the backing of a prominent rebel leader.

Their plans were however thwarted and Teguchi, Ueshiba and the other members of their party were captured by government authorities. The Japanese utopians were imprisoned and sentenced to death. Only through the intervention at the last moment of the local Japanese council were they saved.

This close brush with death tested Morihei's courage to the limit and caused him to enter into a period of deep self-examination. Following the harrowing experience in Mongolia Ueshiba resumed martial arts instruction in Ayabe and other locations in the Kansai area. His fame as a martial artist gradually spread and the founder was eventually invited to Tokyo to give demonstrations and seminars on behalf of Japan's military and political elite.

The Evolution to Aiki Budo and Aikido

Among his most ardent supporters was Admiral Isamu Takeshita a retired officer with a distinguished career in the foreign service. Also a martial arts enthusiast Takeshita was instrumental in having Ueshiba relocate to Tokyo in 1927. In 1930 Ueshiba had a visit from the famous Jigoro Kano founder of judo who was highly impressed with his unusual and graceful techniques.

Kano dispatched several of his leading students to study under Ueshiba. After teaching in various locations in Tokyo with the support of a number of wealthy and influential patrons Ueshiba finally settled permanently at a new location called the Kobukan Dojo which opened in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward in April 1931. His martial art was gradually evolving away from the more jujitsu-like daito-ryu techniques he had learned from Takeda towards what came to be called Aiki Budo.

Interestingly enough it is in this period of Morihei Ueshiba's life that his techniques are the most clearly documented. This is largely due to the survival of a series of more than 1,000 technical photos which preserve for posterity his dynamic Aiki Budo. Although Ueshiba had already begun to transform the techniques of daito-ryu according to his own vision these photos provide conclusive evidence of the continuing influence of Sokaku Takeda's teachings on early Aikido.

The complex joint blocks and pinning techniques shown in these photos are unmistakably from the daito-ryu technical repertoire.