About the Founder

Morihei Ueshiba, O’Sensei, (1883 – 1969) was an extraordinary martial artist. He practiced and mastered many of the traditional fighting arts of Japan, most notably – Aikijujutsu, and the use of the sword, spear and staff.Although he gained a reputation of being virtually unbeatable, he was at the same time profoundly troubled with the conflict that arose between his martial skills and his spiritual training. He felt strongly that winning at someone else’s expense was not really winning. In his search to resolve this conflict, he began a period of intense study, practicing movements, exploring them deeply, and sitting long hours in meditation. The result was the birth of Aikido, an entirely new martial art based not on destruction, but on harmonious resolution of conflict in all its varied forms.