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Morihiro Saito: Guardian of Ueshiba’s Teachings
Morihiro Saito 斉藤 守弘, a prominent figure in the world of Aikido, was born on March 31, 1928, in Ibaraki Prefecture 茨城県, Japan. He dedicated his life to the study and practice of Aikido, becoming one of the most influential sensei in Aikido history. Saito’s contributions to the art, particularly in preserving the teachings of the founder, Morihei Ueshiba, have left a lasting impact on Aikido practitioners worldwide. Just like many other youngsters, Saito used to admire the great Japanese swordsmen and studied kendo in school. However, weapons were banned following the end of WWII. He then learned Karate and Judo, thinking he would have nothing to fear if he…
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Morihei Ueshiba’s Path from Kenjutsu to Aiki-Ken (Part II)
In 1927, Ueshiba moved to Tokyo and later started teaching in Kobukan 皇武館 dojo. Through his military connections, Ueshiba was later introduced to some of the top martial artists. Among them was Kosaburo Gejo 下条小三郎, a navy commander but also an expert in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. Gejo was a top student of Yagyu 柳生厳周, the 13th generation head of the Owari Yagyu 尾張柳生 lineage. While Ueshiba and Gejo had more of a friendly relationship rather than a formal teacher/student one, it is generally believed that Ueshiba was exposed to some high level of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu techniques and concepts through this relationship. However, there is also a saying that Gejo…
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Morihei Ueshiba’s Path from Kenjutsu to Aiki-Ken (Part I)
The origin of Aiki-ken can be traced back to Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, and his study of various martial arts styles throughout his life. Some of the major ken-related arts that Ueshiba had exposure to include Yagyu Shinkage Ryu 柳生新陰流, Yagyu Shingan Ryu 柳生心眼流, Daito Ryu 大東流, and Kashima Shinto Ryu 鹿島新当流. In 1902, when Ueshiba was 19, he moved to Tokyo to start a stationery business but returned to Tanabe in less than a year due to a health problem. It was during this short period of time that he trained in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, but it is unclear who his teacher was. Yagyu Shinkage Ryu was…
