The Origins of Aikido (合氣道)
A Path of Personal Development
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art developed in the first half of the 20th century by Ueshiba Morihei (植芝 盛平; 1883–1969), drawing on a range of classical samurai combat systems. His aim was to create in Aikido a path of personal development — not simply another method of self-defence or martial technique. He was guided by the maxim “Masakatsu Agatsu” (正勝吾勝) — “A true victory is victory over oneself”.
For Ueshiba Sensei, the goal of martial arts training was not to defeat others. Aikido was to be a method of self-perfection.
Ueshiba Morihei – Founder of Aikido
Master Ueshiba was born in 1883 in Tanabe, a small coastal town in southern Japan. From childhood, he engaged with Japanese martial arts, among them Sumo, various styles of Jujutsu, and sword and spear combat. The strongest influence on him was Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu, which he began studying under Takeda Sokaku in 1915. Most of the unarmed techniques of Aikido can be traced to this style. The Yagyu-Shinkage and Kashima-Shinto styles of swordsmanship also shaped his weapons techniques.
The Source of True Strength is Love
Alongside his study of Japanese martial arts, Ueshiba Morihei engaged deeply with religious and spiritual practice. This spiritual search had a significant influence on the development of Aikido as a pacifist martial art. He ultimately came to the insight that the source of strength is love — from which he developed the vision of a martial art in which the aim of defeating the “attacker” is abandoned entirely.
From Aiki-Budo to Aikido
In the 1920s he began teaching, initially calling his style Aiki Bujutsu, later Aiki Budo. He never ceased developing his art until his death. In the late 1920s, with the support of influential figures in Japanese society, he succeeded in spreading his style not only in Tokyo but throughout Japan.
When Ueshiba recognised during the Second World War that Japanese martial arts were increasingly being appropriated for military ends, he withdrew to the countryside in Iwama, northeast of Tokyo. This was also the period in which the name Aikido established itself for his distinctive art. There he worked on integrating various weapons techniques and developing his system into a martial art that — through the transcendence of violence and aggression — sought to promote peace and harmony in society.
The Spread of Aikido
The worldwide spread of Aikido is largely due to the work of Kisshomaru Ueshiba, son of Morihei Ueshiba. After the war, as Aikido began to attract increasing public attention, he played a central role in leading and organising the Aikikai Foundation — the state-recognised, non-profit organisation. Following the death of O-Sensei in 1969, Kisshomaru Ueshiba was appointed second Doshu of Aikido.
By sending Japanese Shihan abroad, he laid the foundations for Aikido outside Japan. His numerous publications on Aikido technique and philosophy further extended its reach. Today Aikido is practised in over 90 countries — the result of this deliberate international work. Kisshomaru Ueshiba died in Tokyo in 1999, having successfully transformed his father’s vision into an international movement.