Aikido's historical roots

Compiled by Perth Aikido with thanks to Donn F. Draeger, Modern Bujutsu & Budo, 1974; Koichi Tohei, Aikido, 1961

Morihei Ueshiba Sensei (1883-1969) (known as O-Sensei) founded Aikido in the early part of the 20th Century. O-Sensei's art was based on the traditions of a number of other martial schools. O-Sensei's art has gained popularity due to its technical prowess, its philosophy and its training methods.

The teachings of Takeda Sokaku Minamoto Masayoshi (1858-1943) are widely believed to have had the most influence on the technical development of Aikido. Sokaku, a skilled swordsman of the Aizu clan was taught oshiki-uchi (hand-to-hand combat) and modified the art into what was named Daito Ryu jujutsu. Sokaku travelled to Hokaido in 1908 to instruct police units in hand-to-hand combat there.

O-Sensei was the eldest son of a farmer from Wakayama Prefecture. O-Sensei travelled to Tokyo to enroll in Tenjin Shin'yo Ryu in 1898. It is said that he also studied other classical bujutsu including Yagyu Shinkage Ryu jujutsu. He was conscripted into the army during the Russo-Japanese War, whereupon he travelled extensively and widened his knowledge of the classical martial arts and was awarded the highest level of proficiency in Tenjin Shin'yo Ryu in 1908. After leaving the army he travelled to Hokaido and led a small band of frontier farmers and it was here that he enrolled himself in the Daito Ryu to learn jujutsu under Sokaku in 1915. He earnt the Daito Ryu teaching license in 1917 and also continued his study of the Yagyu Shingage Ryu and allegedly earnt his teaching license of the jujutsu-like portion of its teachings in 1922.

O-Sensei pursued religious and philosophy studies including Zen Buddhism and the school of Omoto-kyo, founded by Waniaaburo Deguchi. In aspiring to embody the highest ethics into his art, O-Sensei directed it into being truly defensive. He sought to establish a direct contact with nature, improve himself and thereby better society. He moved from Tokyo to Iwama, a small country village, set in a quiet farming area, in 1942. It was here that was able to develop his ideas into his own distinct kind of aiki-jujutsu, which he called aiki-do.

The physical techniques of O-Sensei's aikido reflect and encompass his religious philosophy. He regarded the basic dynamics of the universe as supreme examples of ai, or harmony and affinity (cosmic love). Inasmuch as all matter in the universe follows circular, not linear, lines of movement. Aikido is mind and body unified harmoniously in a system of mechanics that is based on force applied along lines of continuity: a concept of natural rhythm, a free flow of personal expression that offers no conflict with nature. Just as personal expression is infinitely varied, techniques of Aikido are theoretically infinite in number.

The heritage of Aikido is steeped in the dualisms of Ying and Yang and the concepts of ai, ki, aiki and ki-ai. These terms may be found in the teachings of many of the classical martial arts. Ki is a concept that is both natural and simple. Its difficulty is in learning to release and control it. Gaining control over it is identified with spiritual progress. O-Sensei was regarded as the greatest expositor of ki in modern Japanese disciplines.

Many different "styles" of aikido exist today (and at latest count 14 different ones in Perth). In spite of spiritual and technical differences, they are all related, as they represent the interpretations and partial transformations, made by various individuals of the teachings of O-Sensei. In as much as possible Perth Aikido is trying to pass on the traditions and teachings, of O-Sensei at the Iwama dojo.