Morihei Uyeshiba
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Morihei Uyeshiba |
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"As he stood by helplessly watching the tough hoods of the village beat up his father because of political differences, young Uyeshiba vowed that he would never give up trying to become strong no matter what the cost in suffering and time. He would one day be able to handle them. One day they would flee in fear. He would have power. And so his work began." � ("AIKIDO" / by Kisshomaru Uyeshiba 1957) |
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 O' Sensei Morihei Uyeshiba, founder of Aikido, was born on December 14, 1883 in Tanabe City a small fishing and farming town. (Till today, a festival, is beeing held on the 14th of every month by Master Kisshomaru Uyeshiba, O' Senseis' son, at the Aiki Shrine of Ibaraki Dojo, which was bilt in 1943.)As a child he was small and had weak physique. His premature birth hindered his physical development. As a grown man he was no more then five feet tall. Uyeshiba wasn't realy interested in mathematics or phisics, school studies meant very little for him. |
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He was interested in meditation, chants and religion rites. At the ������������Aiki Shrine - Iwama
age of ten he started Zen practice. After some poor experience with some jobs and finding that almost all the jobs are not satisfying he went to Tokyo, (he moves in September, 1900), where after becoming very ill and loosing all of him money, he came back home finding the martial - art of Jujutsu enjoyable; (he studies Tenjin Shin' yo - ryu Jujutsu briefly in 1901.) In 1903 he marries Hatsu Itogawa but little is known about her. In late December 1903 he joins the 61st Infantery Regiment of Wakayama, but later is discharged from the army for not fitting. In 1911 his first child was born, a baby girl - Matsuko. Her birth was the only thing which succeded lifting his spirit after being verry ill and depressed because of the bitter fighting and the spilled blood during the war. Another three sons where born but only one suevived. (first - Tekemori born on July 1917 - August 1920; second - Kuniharu born on August 1920 - September 1920; third - Kisshomaru born on june 1921.) Kisshomaru is the only sun who survived and took his father place as an Aikido leader. In 1915 Uyeshiba meets Sokaku Tekada at Hisada Inn in Engaru - a Daito - Ryu expert. ( Aikido origin is traced to Daito - Ryu Aikijujutsu which had been found in the 9th century by Prince Teijun. Through the centuries the secret art was still being passed down but only to members of the Takeda family.) In September 1922 Uyeshiba receives "Kyoji Dairi" (teaching assistant) certificat from Takeda. In 1922 he organized his own style of Aikijujutsu which he called Aiki Bujutsu (it was bassed on some 200 self - defense form he developed some of which he learned from Takeda.) This would be his starting point for his own art. He traveled to China to observe the Chinese arts which he later used for his own art too especialy Tai Chi Chuan and Pa Kua Chang. In China he was arested but with the help of the Japanese consulate he was returned to Japan in 1924. In 1927 he moves to Shiba ,Shirogane in Sarumachi a site for his temporary dojo. He moves on and sets temporary dojos in Shiba, Tsunamachi in 1928 and in Shiba, Kuruma - Cho in 1929. In 1930 he moves to Shimo - Ochiai in Majiro where he is observe by Jigoro Kano of Kodokan (he sends a couple of students to train with Uyeshiba.) In 1936 Uyeshiba renames his art as Aiki Budo. In 1937 his name appears in enrollment book of Kashima Shinto - Ryu and in 1938 technical manual "Budo" published. In 1939 he is invited to instruct in Manchuria and in 1940 he attends a martial art demonstration in Manchuria (commemorating 2600th anniversation of Japan.) In 1941 he gives a demonstration for the imperial family in the Sainenkan Dojo and becomes martial - arts advisor for Shimbuden and Kenkoku universities in Manchuria. In 1942 the name Aikido becomes official. He emerged with a new and strong art which was combined of three elements (ai - harmony, ki - spirit or energy, do - descepline or way/route/path), and swardsmanship, and kito - ryu jujutsu, and techinques of his own. In his classes he used to emphasis how much the ki was important in increasing a persons' strenght. Through Aikido Uyeshiba developoped extraordinary self - defence. He could take down and pin opponents of greater size. He could throw a dozen men simultaneously. In Aikido there are no matches, they are strictly prohibited because we should pray that fights should never occur, thats what Uyeshiba thought. For Aikido you need a mind who thinks peace and love of all human beings and not fighting and only the feeling of an opponent. He died in April, 1969. Ashes buried at Kozanji, Tanabe. He died leaving a martial art which continues to thrive around the world! |
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 "Aikido has no end." / Morihei Uyeshiba "There's just the begining and further growth." / Morihei Uyeshiba "Aikido is learned through rigorous repetition of Aikido techniques, the bodywill teach the mind." / Morihei Uyeshiba "In Aikido we control the oppoment's mind before we face him ... When he attacks he will injure himself with his own intention. / Morihei Uyeshiba |
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