About the founder page 1
The following was written by:
Anne Mari Nedevska Aikido Dojo Gamlestaden / Gothenburg / Sweden
Morihei Ueshiba
Birth & childhood
On December 14, 1883 in the city Tanabe a farmer named Yoroku Ueshiba and his wife Yuki Itokawa
had their fourth child; Morihei Ueshiba. He was their eldest son and a sensitive child who was
weak and often sick. His father was a respected member of the local council since twenty years
and his mother came from a landowning family of distinguished origin. Around the age of seven
Morihei was sent to a Buddhist temple to study Confucian classics and Buddhist scriptures. He
studied very hard for a boy at his age and had a great interest in meditation and prayer. The
tales about miracles told by Kobo Daishi, the great Buddhist teacher at the temple, were very
exciting for a young boy with a vivid imagination and Morihei started dreaming and day dreaming.
Because of this excessive mental strive Morihei's father decided he should build up his body
through the training of sumo wrestling and swimming as a complement to his studies at the
temple.
Youth
The following years Morihei Ueshiba studied at Tanabe Elementary School. Daily exercising made
his body grow healthy and gain strength. It was at this time his father was beaten up by hoods
sent by his political opponents. This strengthened the young Ueshiba's sprouting interest for
Budo. Ueshiba was quick to learn and very successful in school. When he was thirteen he was
admitted at Tanabe Prefectural Middle School. He didn't graduate from this school but started
instead at the Yoshida Abacus Institute where he learned abacus; a Japanese sort of slide-rule.
He learned it so quickly that after only a year he could assist the teacher. When he received
his diploma from the abacus school he found a job at the Tanabe Tax Office. After resigning from
the Tax Office in 1901, eighteen years old Morihei Ueshiba moved to Tokyo to open his own
stationery business Ueshiba Trading
Family - social interest
It was in Tokyo his interest for budo grew stronger. He started training both Jujutsu (unarmed
combat) and Kenjutsu (Sword techniques). He also took an interest in politics. This was probably
something passed on to him from his father; a member of the local council who thought social
responsibility was very important. But after less than a year in Tokyo Ueshiba fell ill with
heart beriberi. He gave his business to his employees and returned to Tanabe where he recovered
after a long time. After his recovery he married his childhood friend Hatsu Itokawa. Starting a
family increased Ueshiba's sense for social responsibility and he participated in what later
would be referred to as the Iso Incident. It concerned a new law that would benefit commercial
fishing in the district where he lived. Ueshiba took part in demonstrations and protests against
the law and through his participation they solved the problem. He involved himself in many other
problems in the village and became well known locally. Besides this he continued his training,
determined to become strong. In 1903 at the age of twenty Ueshiba enlisted in the army. He there
became known for his extreme skill with the bayonet and for his industrious and sincere
personality. He proceeded with the jujutsu during spare time. Ueshiba was discharged and
returned to Tanabe in 1907. He had then been promoted from corporal to sergeant. He started
working at the family farm at the same time as he continued with politics and engaged himself in
many local activities. Yoroku was worried about his son's many commitments and determined to
calm his restless son he engaged Kiyoichi Tagaki to teach him Judo. They turned the barn into a
dojo and after a while young Ueshiba received a certificate. Despite his father's attempt to
give his son a calm and stable life Morihei continued to devote himself socially. In March 1912
he organised fifty-four households to move to what was to become the village of Shirataki. It
was a governmental project to settle the northern part of the island Hokkaido that Ueshiba and
the other families took part in. When they first arrived the place was a wasteland. The settlers
had difficulties in cultivating but with help and encouragement from Ueshiba the families
succeeded in establishing, after four years.