Aikido's founder, Morihei Ueshiba, was born in Japan on December 14, 1883. While he was a boy, he often saw local thugs hired by a rival politician attack and beat his father. He dedicated himself to becoming strong so he devoted his life to the practice of martial arts. He eventually earned certificates of mastery in several styles of Jujitsu, Kenjutsu, and Sojitsu.Morihei Ueshiba felt very dissatisfied however, and began looking into religious traditions of Shinto, Buddhism and Omoto-kyo in hopes of finding a deeper meaning to life, all the while continually increasing his studies of Budo. His spiritual learning’s and the martial arts formed the backdrop to the creation of what is known today as Aikido.
Originally referred to as Aiki bujutsu, Ueshiba decided on the name "aikido" in 1942. "Ai" refers to Harmony while "Ki" refers to the fundamental life force that pervades all beings. The use of the term "aiki" in this context added an emphasis on harmonizing with the energy of the attacker.
Aikido is a system of self-cultivation and improvement. Aikido has no tournaments, or "sparring." According to the founder, the goal of aikido is not the defeat of others, but the defeat of the negative energies, which inhabit one's own mind. At the same time, the potential of aikido as a method of self-defense should not be ignored; Aikido techniques have the potential to cause serious injury. By training cooperatively, even potentially lethal techniques can be practiced without substantial risk.
After Ueshiba's death, his son Kisshomaru Ueshiba became Aikido’s head, Kisshomaru's son (the founder's grandson), Moriteru Ueshiba, became the top authority of Aikido after Kisshomaru's death in 1999.
Morihei Ueshiba (1883 – 1969).
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