Our list of Aikido Legends is selective in nature. There are a large number of famous Aikido practitioners that could easily fall on to this page. For that reason we are constantly expanding our Aikido legends. If you would like to recommend any figure or write about any person you feel is an Aikido figure, then please contact us.
Top Aikido Legends
- Morihei Ueshiba -
No Aikido legends list would be adequate without the great Morihei Ueshiba, sometimes called OSensei, he is the founder of Aikido.
Ueshiba is remembered by his students as a master of Martial Arts, who brought moral and philosophical views of the world based around harmony in the face of aggression to his founded style, Aikido. Virtually all the branches of Aikido today exist with lineage back to him.
Many stories exist about Ueshiba's Martial Arts skills. Stories have been told that he would be able to defend himself when surrounded by a ring of students all trying to attack him with swords. Many other stories exist although some feel that they are more mythical that fact, however other insist he really could achieve such feats.
To this day, Ōmoto-kyō priests oversee a ceremony in Ueshiba's honor every April 29 at the Aiki Shrine in Iwama. Over the years, Ueshiba trained a large number of students, many of whom have grown into great teachers in their own right. Some of them were uchideshi, or live-in students. There are roughly four generations of students in direct line with OSensei
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba -
Born on June 27, 1921 as the son of Morihei Ueshiba (above) - this man became a international and highest respected of Aikido legends around the world after his father passed away in 1969. At this point, Kisshomaru took on the title of "dōshu", which in Japanese means "keeper of the way". As his father is the first dōshu, he is the second, and after his death in 1999, his son Moriteru Ueshiba Ueshiba Moriteru became the third.
Kisshomaru Ueshiba has been given a large amount of credit around the world for his successful efforts of spreading the knowledge of Aikdo. Kisshomaru sent many young, talented Aikido teachers to many different countries to start teaching themselves in their own dojos.
- Moriteru Ueshiba -
The son of Kisshomaru and the grandson of Morihei, he was born on April 2nd 1951. The is the third and current dōshu of Aikido and in his own respect is very much one of the great Aikido legends. Now taking over the leadership of the Aikikai organization, Doshu brings to his position an already full life of training and instruction. The Aikido world has high expectations that, under his leadership, Aikido will continue to grow and expand in fulfilment of OSensei's dream.
He is also the author of the book Progressive Aikido and co-author of the book Best Aikido: The Fundamentals along with the aid of his father Kisshomaru Ueshiba and author of second continuing book of Best Aikido which is called The Aikido Master Course: Best Aikido 2. In keeping with the iemoto system, he is expected to be succeeded as dōshu by his son Mitsuteru Ueshiba.
Other Aikido Legends
- Takuma Hisa -
Pictured right, he was a prominent Japanese martial artist and early student of the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba.
Born in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan; in his youth, he was insitially a sumo wrestler winning the All-Kansai Student Sumo Championship as a boy. He was advised to learn the technique of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu for self-defense and was introduced to Ueshiba, becoming one of his early prewar students. Later (in 1936) he studied directly under Takeda when the latter came teaching at the Asahi News dojo. He received the Kyoju Dairi (teaching certification) a year later and was awarded the Menkyo kaiden rank in 1939, directly from Takeda. He later became one of the most prominent teachers of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. In 1959, he established the Kansai Aikido Club to teach the techniques of Ueshiba and Takeda. Hisa is also remembered for compiling a catalogue of techniques from photographs taken at the Asahi News dojo featuring both Ueshiba and Takeda. The catalogue constitutes today an invaluable historical source for the early development of aikido. He also held the rank of 8th dan in sumo and 5th dan in judo.
We have also compliled a list of of Aikido legends on our Aikidoka page.
More on Aikido Legends
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