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Master of the Power and the Basics: Yoshimitsu Yamada
Yoshimitsu Yamada 山田 嘉光, born on February 17, 1938, in Tokyo, Japan, is a prominent figure in the world of Aikido, renowned for his significant contributions to the development of Aikido in the United States. Yamada’s family has a close connection to the Abe family. His father, Ichiro Yamada, lost his parents as a child and was placed in the care of the Abe family. Ichiro and Tadashi Abe 阿部正 were raised as brothers, and Yamada referred to Abe as his uncle. Abe’s father was a supporter of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Yamada first encountered Ueshiba when he was invited as a guest to Abe’s house for a…
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A Brief Biography of the Second Doshu
Kisshomaru Ueshiba 植芝 吉祥丸 (1921-1999) was a Japanese martial artist and the second Doshu 道主 of Aikido after his father, Morihei Ueshiba, who founded the martial art. Kisshomaru Ueshiba was born in Ayabe, Kyoto, Japan, 1921. His father Morihei Ueshiba was already a renowned martial artist. Kisshomaru formally started his Aikido training in 1936. He also studied kendo and Kashima Shinto-ryu 鹿島新当流 kenjutsu during childhood. During World War II, Kisshomaru Ueshiba was drafted into the Japanese military and served as an instructor in hand-to-hand combat. After the war, he returned to his martial arts training under his father’s guidance and began teaching Aikido to the public. Kisshomaru played a crucial…
