Morihei Ueshiba
Founder of aikido, a Japanese martial art.
Morihei Ueshiba was born in 1883 in what is now Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, the only son of a wealthy farmer and local politician. A sickly child, he was encouraged by his father to build strength through sumo and swimming, and was inspired by tales of his samurai great-grandfather. After a brief, unsuccessful attempt at running a stationery business in Tokyo, he returned home and married a childhood acquaintance. Called up for military service in 1903, he initially failed the physical exam due to his short stature but increased his height by hanging weights from his legs. He served in the Russo-Japanese War, rising to sergeant before being discharged in 1907. During his youth, he studied several martial arts, including Kitō-ryū jujutsu, Shinkage-ryū, and Gotō-ha Yagyū-ryū, from which he received a certificate of total transmission in 1908. He also studied judo and was given a certificate of enlightenment by a childhood teacher. In 1912, he moved to Hokkaido to lead a pioneer settlement, where he met and trained under Takeda Sōkaku in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. Leaving Hokkaido in 1919, he joined the Ōmoto-kyō Shinto sect in Ayabe, opening his first dojo there as a martial arts instructor. In 1924, he accompanied the sect’s leader, Onisaburo Deguchi, on an expedition to Mongolia, where they were captured by Chinese troops before being returned to Japan. The following year, Ueshiba experienced a profound spiritual transformation, describing a golden spirit that enveloped and changed his body. After this, his martial technique became gentler, emphasizing the control of ki. He moved to Tokyo in 1926, establishing what became the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, and taught at military academies and other dojos across Japan. Following World War II, his Tokyo dojo temporarily closed, but he continued training at his dojo in Iwama, where he had retired. From the postwar period into the 1960s, he promoted aikido throughout Japan and abroad. He died from liver cancer in 1969, and his students, many of whom became notable martial artists, spread aikido worldwide.
- field
- Martial arts
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Founder of aikido
Quick Facts
- Native Name Lang
- ja
- Other Names
- Moritaka Ueshiba (ja · 植芝守高), Tsunemori (ja · 常盛)
- Birth Date
- 1883-12-14
- Birth Place
- Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan
- Death Date
- 1969-04-26
- Death Place
- Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
- Martial Art
- Aikido, Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu
- Teacher
- Takeda Sōkaku
- Students
- see List of aikidoka
- Children
- Matsuko Ueshiba / Takemori Ueshiba (died in infancy) / Kuneharu Ueshiba (died in infancy) / Kisshomaru Ueshiba
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
A weak and sickly child, he was encouraged by his father to take up sumo and swimming, and was influenced by stories of his samurai great-grandfather. He served in the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War, being promoted to sergeant before his discharge in 1907. The following year, Ueshiba experienced a profound spiritual event, after which his martial arts technique became gentler, with greater emphasis on the control of ki. He taught at military academies and other dojos around Japan. After World War II, the Hombu dojo temporarily closed, and Ueshiba retired to Iwama, continuing training at his dojo there. From the end of the war until the 1960s, he promoted aikido throughout Japan and abroad.
Reader's Guide
Morihei Ueshiba’s significance stems from his creation of aikido, a martial art that he developed after a profound spiritual experience in 1925, during which he described a golden spirit enveloping and transforming his body. Following this event, his technique became markedly gentler, shifting emphasis from forceful combat to the control of ki. This transformation distinguished aikido from the Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu he had studied under Takeda Sōkaku in Hokkaido, as well as from other martial arts he had trained in, including Kitō-ryū jujutsu, Shinkage-ryū, Gotō-ha Yagyū-ryu (in which he received a Menkyo Kaiden certificate in 1908), Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū jujutsu, and judo. Ueshiba’s early life was marked by physical weakness, which his father countered by encouraging sumo and swimming, and by tales of a strong samurai ancestor. His exposure to Shinto and Shingon Buddhism through his teachers also shaped his later spiritual outlook. After serving in the Russo-Japanese War, he led a pioneer settlement in Hokkaido before joining the Ōmoto-kyō Shinto sect in Ayabe, where he opened his first dojo. He accompanied the sect’s head, Onisaburo Deguchi, on an expedition to Mongolia in 1924, during which they were captured by Chinese troops. Ueshiba later established the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo and taught at military academies. After World War II, he retired to Iwama, continuing to train and promote aikido until the 1960s. His legacy is that of a martial artist who transformed combat into a path of personal and spiritual development, influencing global perceptions of conflict resolution.
Did You Know?
- Ueshiba failed his initial military physical exam because he was shorter than the regulation 5 feet 2 inches, but he stretched his spine by hanging weights from his legs to gain the necessary height.
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