WHAT IS AIKIDO?

The word Aikido is made up of three Japanese characters:

The way to harmonize with the spirit of the universe.

The Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), was lovingly called O'Sensei or Great Teacher, studied many forms of martial arts in his native country Japan. In all of these disciplines he found competition as a basis for practice where the winners were filled with temporary glory and the losers felt deep humiliation after defeat.

With his strong foundation in martial discipline and spiritual learning, O'Sensei began to seek unifying principles in practice to bring people together as one family.

O'Sensei felt that Ki is the maternal source that affects delicate changes in breath, that both Ki and breath, interact and interpenetrate all life.

O'Sensei's closest disciple of 23 years was Morihiro Saito. When Morihiro Saito was first accepted as an Aikido student, O'Sensei said to him that he could only begin Aikido if he was ready to create a World Family. Not knowing exactly what O'Sensei meant, the young ambitious Morihiro agreed. It was only after many years of perseverance in Aikido, and carrying his master's teachings to all parts of the world that Saito Sensei realized the meaning of what his teacher had said.

Saito Sensei told this story while sipping tea in an interview with Aikido Today Magazine in 2001. A long time student of Saito Sensei's, Wolfgang Baumgartner, sat attentively listening to his master speak. His story had a profound affect on Baumgartner Sensei.

O'Sensei (Great Teacher)

Morihiro Saito Sensei, 9th Dan