The past of
Japan includes the history of the islands of the country and its inhabitants,
covering the eras from the ancient times up to the formation of the modern
Japanese state. From the Upper Paleolithic Era the rich ecosystem of the
Japanese archipelago favored the growth and development of human civilization,
with the oldest findings that have been discovered to belong in the Jomon
period, around 12,000 BC. The first permanent capital of Japan was founded
in Nara in 710 BC, which became the center of religion and culture, while
tradition brings the Empire of Japan to be founded in 660 BC by Emperor
Jimmu.
The ancient
Japanese were hunters and farmers, who when they began to cultivate rice (not
before the late Neolithic period), the surplus accumulated as wealth and thus a
hierarchical social structure began to appear. That made the protection of
wealth and class necessary. Since the 9th century some kind of professional
warriors began to appear because of conflicts between different groups.
Although it
has been established to call samurai all the warriors of the
Japanese history, this is not accurate, as is also not entirely accurate to say
that Japan once was ruled by the samurai class. The samurai caste was one
of the layers in the hierarchy of Bushi, i.e. the warriors who came
from aristocratic families. The structure of the Bushi’class was based on
social status, the fighting skills and the favor of Shogun (military
commander). So not all the Japanese warriors were Bushi. Bushi started ruling
Japan, as the political power of the Emperor weakened and when Minamoto
Yoritomo (1147-1199) founded the first shogunate, the Bakufu (tent
office) of Kamakura (1185 or 1192-1333).
During the
Middle Ages, the sword and the spear replaced the bow and arrow, as privileged
weapons on the battlefield. Then the unarmed combat methods were a
complementary knowledge and not basic, since the warriors had weapons and
armors. The teaching of unarmed techniques was based more on the scenario in
which the warrior was losing his main weapons and should be able to defend
himself and maybe use a secondary weapon. Punches or kicks were not efficacious
against armors, so immobilization, throw and neutralization techniques formed
those unarmed combat styles.
When
firearms were introduced to Japan in 1543, the way and the concept of martial
arts training gradually began to change. During the Middle Ages the term Bushido(living
code of Bushi) started being developed, although the term appeared in print
later. Bushido was influenced by Zen, which was practical for warriors,
preaching self - discipline, while at the same moment, it dealt with the
subject of death more tangible than Shinto and Confucianism did. [Shinto is the
indigenous religion of Japan]
During the Edo
or Tokugawa period (1600-1867), the concept of Budo (The
Way of Martial Arts) began to grow. Then Japan was isolated from the other
nations and in relative peace, while Neo-Confucianism was established as a
major religious and ethical movement, which promoted the ideas of duty and
loyalty. So in this environment, Bushi started becoming government officials
and technocrats and also they started receiving education and cultivated the
fine arts. At the same time, and because of the peace, their experience on the
battlefield was reduced.
The
isolation of Japan contributed to some extent to the late development of weapons.
That, combined with the stratification of society led to great expertise and a
huge variety of martial styles and schools. So the Japanese martial arts can be
broadly divided into Koryu (ancient schools) and Gendai
Budo (modern martial arts) based on whether they existed before the Meiji
Restoration (See below).
Today the
term Japanese martial arts encompasses a wide variety of armed
and unarmed martial systems, which come from Japan, with at least three words
(Bujutsu, Bugei and Budo) used to describe them and with the use of Budo to be
the most modern. Budo suggests a lifestyle that includes physical, mental and
moral exercise aimed for self- improvement. The concept of Budo was developed
mainly by people who did not fight in the battlefields, but they intended to
unify the spiritual with the physical exercise, based on the integration of
daily activities of that era with the ideals of the past. Thus the foundations
of a unique perception and reflection on life were set.
In 1868,
Bakufu collapsed and the imperial institution regained political power. That
era is known as the Meiji Restoration, in which a series of events
led to the restoration of power to the Emperor Meiji (1852-1912), who led an
era of rapid changes in Japan. The country was modernized from a closed, feudal
society into a modern world power, based on its industrial revolution. With
technology, ideas and customs of the West infiltrating into the Japanese
lifestyle, in the late 19th century, Japan came out from the isolation and
became a modern country, which wanted to be recognized as an equal nation among
western powerful countries and not degenerate into a colony like other nations
of the wider geographical area. To accomplish this, building a strong economy,
forming a modern army and modernizing the structures came into immediate
priority. However, the dynamic enforcement of modernization strengthened the
wave of patriotism.
Maintaining
the tradition, and the martial arts as a part of it, while the
country was modernized, became the social counterweight and central political
will for the role that Japan wanted to play in the world, as a strong nation.
The arts of
Budo, very early, were not created as sports or any other social or
recreational activity. The unarmed martial arts began to evolve for
self-defense, police arrests or controversies under the everyday circumstances,
while the social rights of weapons possession and use was limited, following the
decline of feudal system and the fall of the warriors caste. Jujutsu (unarmed
martial techniques) was coined (not earlier than the 17th century) as a term
and as a concept, based on the Japanese armed combat systems. The sword, the
soul and symbol of Japan and its arts have been regarded as the core of
jujutsu’s configuration.
The
willingness of Japan to be independent and strong implemented by adopting the
role of protecting power over the countries of the East against western
colonialism. But soon due to the deteriorating international political and
economic situation, some movements turned to ultra nationalism, militarism and
imperialism and once they prevailed, led the country 's involvement in the
WWII.
As a
product of Japanese culture, throughout the history martial arts were involved
in the political, military, social and religious past of the country.
Practicing martial arts has been the means of physical training, moral
education and the cultural and national awareness of Japanese citizens and
especially the young people.
During the
years that followed the end of World War II, the Allied occupation forces
restricted the exercise of martial arts, prohibiting the practice mainly in
schools and universities, considering Budo among the elements that favored the
rise of militarism. The gradual revival of massive practice of Japanese martial
arts began in 1947, either in the form of self-defense systems for law enforcement,
or as a sporting, recreational or cultural activities. So since the 50s and 60s
the frenetic spread of the Japanese martial arts around the world starts.
Morihei
Ueshiba, the son of Yoroku Ueshiba (1844-1920) and Yuki Itogawa (1850-1922),
was born on December 14, 1883, in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. The
history of Kumano’s region goes back to the prehistoric ages and its religious
role predated the role that all the rest of the religious movements played in
shaping the Japanese society and culture. In Kumano the religious cults formed
a unique blend, which make it, even today, to be considered as a healing place.
Morihei often remarked: “I will always be a son of Kumano”.
Yoroku and
Yuki likely got married around the late 1860ies. Morihei was their forth child
and first son. Yoroku was a wealthy landowner and a member of the local
political scene from 1892 to 1910. He was not academically educated, but he had
a reputation of a strong man and he was a martial arts enthusiast. Yuki was a
religious woman. During her pregnancy, she had a number of visionary dreams and
after Morihei’s birth it was said of him: “This child is a gift of the gods of
Kumano.” Morihei himself had a deep religious belief and displayed an
extraordinary sensitivity, since his childhood.
Both his
parents were coming from families with tradition in martial arts, however
Morihei looked physically weak as a child. He was very clever though and
inclined to the mathematics. With his school education, his physical education
started as well with wrestling, swimming and spear fishing.
At the age
of 19, Morihei sought his fortune as a merchant in Tokyo, where after
working for a time for some relatives, he started his own business with a
stationery shop, called Ueshiba Shokai. However, he fell ill the following year
and after turning his business over his employees he returned to Tanabe.
In Tokyo,
Morihei was for first time exposed to the classical Japanese martial arts,
since for a short period he trained in Tenshin Shin’yo ryu at the dojo of
Tokusaburo Tozawa (1848-1912).
Back in
Tanabe, Morihei recovered from his illness and got married to Hatsu Itogawa
(1881-1969), who was distantly related to a branch of the feudal clan of
lords and warriors of Takeda. Morihei and Hatsu knew each other
since they were kids as they were distant relatives.
The same
year, in 1903, Morihei joined the army and served in the 37th Military
Regiment, stationed in Osaka. Soon he attracted the attention of his senior
officers because of his outstanding strength and endurance. Along with his
military training, during his days off, Morihei studied classical Japanese
martial arts and he also continued his religious practices. It was at that time
that he formally enrolled in the famous school of Masakatsu Nakai (1891-1908),
where he systematically received his first instruction in martial arts, which
included empty hand techniques, and techniques with sword, staff, spear, even
techniques wearing old armors. Morihei continued his study under Nakai even
after he was discharged from the army in 1906.
During his
military service the Russo-Japanese war broke out and Morihei was sent in
Manchuria. In the army he gained the title of the “king of the soldiers”, due
to his abilities handling the bayonet and his integrity. Later Morihei rejected
the option, offered by his seniors to follow a military career, studying at the
famous military academy Toyama and after his discharged from
the military service he preferred to return to his birthplace and work in his
family farm.
At that
time Japan was undergoing tremendous changes and in Tanabe, Morihei, under the
influence of the eccentric scholar Kumagusu Minakata (1867-1941), was
involved in several protest movements against the governmental policy. Watching
his son troubled and restless, Yoroku constructed a dojo in the family farm and
invited the known judo instructor, Kiyoshi Takaki (1894-1972) to teach, hoping
that this would channel the nervous energy of Morihei into a productive
activity.
In February
1915, Morihei encountered the legendary Sokaku Takeda (1859-1943), Grand Master
of Daito ryu Jujutsu, at a traditional inn, in Engaru of Hokkaido. So Morihei
along with his responsibilities as a leader of Shirataki he started practicing
hard. His contact with Sokaku was not continuous, but each training
session was extremely demanding. Morihei was very talented and committed and
later he received a teaching license by Sokaku.
During all
his life, Morihei respected Sokaku Takeda as the man who had opened his eyes to
the true meaning of budo. However, what Morihei was searching went beyond the
lethal techniques and victory at all costs. He looked for something deeper and
more humane. At that moment of his life, his desire not to stick at the mere
knowledge of martial techniques, but to deepen into the human spirituality,
marked the begging of Aikido’s development.
In November
1919, Morihei received a telegram informing him that his father was on his
deathbed. Then, he turned all his property to his master, Sokaku and left
Hokkaido for ever. On the train of return, he heard the other passengers
talking about some teacher, the leader of the religious sect Omoto-kyo, who had
a reputation of a healer. Morihei quickly went to Ayabe, near Kyoto, in order
to visit the healer, an eccentric shaman named Onisaburo Deguchi (1871-1948)
and ask him to pray for his father.
Yoroku
passed away in 1920 and Morihei was very depressed. Attracted by the teachings
of Onisaburo, Morihei decided to return and live with his family at the Omoto
headquarters in Ayabe. With Onisaburo’s encouragement he started teaching
martial arts at a dojo, the Ueshiba Juku (Ueshiba Academy), which was built in
Omoto’s compound, marking the formal beginning of his career as a martial arts
instructor.
It was
about 1922, when Morihei started calling his art Aiki Bujutsu,
adapting the term Aiki in the sense of harmony between self
and others. Other names were used as well for Morihei’s system, such as Ueshiba
ryu Aiki Bujutsu. The term Aiki can be traced to several old Japanese
martial traditions, but it was Morihei Ueshiba who renewed the concept of Aiki and
changed it. Thus he has remained in the world history of martial arts as the
only Master of Aiki.
In 1924,
Morihei and a group of people, accompanied Onisaburo on a trip, which was
called The Great Mongolian Adventure. That trip was about a
religious quest to the Mongolian wilds in order to discover a holy place, where
Onisaburo would create a new world kingdom based on religious foundations.
However Onisaburo was involved into the local politics and as a consequence
they were arrested, sentenced to death, rescued the very last moment by the
Japanese authorities and repatriated.
That
adventure changed Morihei, who resumed his martial arts teaching and training,
relating the practice of martial arts with farming, a connection he
supported all of his life. In addition he developed a unique way of personal
training in martial arts.
So in 1925
something very important happened in his life. Morihei faced the challenge of a
swordsman, a military officer of the Naval Academy. During the encounter,
Morihei was perceiving each attack of the wooden sword as a light beam and thus
he was easily avoiding every cut. After the swordsman retreated, accepting his
total defeat, Morihei had a mystical enlightenment experience. He felt embraced
by a mist of golden light which was descended from heaven and welling up from
the earth. Morihei felt himself transformed into a golden being, at one with
the universe.
“I was
enlightened all at once. I no longer needed to contend for victory. I perceived
that love embraces all things, that love gave all things life. For the first
time, I saw the unity between the spirit, heart and body of self and others,
and how to utilize that function to create a new world. True victory is victory
over oneself. To win without fighting- that is true victory, a victory over
oneself, an instantaneous and swift victory, a triumph of the spirit in harmony
with self and others, humankind and the divine, at one with the universe, and a
victory based on unlimited love. In other words, I transcended the individual
domain of winning and losing and attained the ultimate victory of Takemusu
(Creative and Valorous Living). That is the level of attainment we all must
strive for in our martial path”.
This spirit
is the special characteristic and essence of Aikido.
In 1927,
Morihei accepted the invitation of the influential Admilar Isamu Takeshita
(1869-1949) to settle and teach in Tokyo, so the base of Morihei was
transferred to the capital. At the beginning Morihei taught in several
temporarily places, while he also accepted the visit of Jigoro Kano
(1860-1938), the Founder of Kodokan Judo, who was impressed by his
demonstration. Thus several student of Kodokan Institute were sent to the
school of Morihei Ueshiba to study.
In 1931,
the school of Morihei, the Kobukan Dojo, was built in the Wakamatsu
section of Tokyo and the newly established Kobukai Foundation, which received
the official governmental approval in 1940, covered its activities. The first
generation of students in Kobukan were mainly high ranking military officers,
aristocrats, wealthy businessmen and people connected to the Omoto-kyo, given
the fact that Morihei was reluctant to teach the general public, since he was
always concerned about the misuse of his techniques.
The school
of Morihei gained the fame of “dojo of hell” because of the intense
practice, while his personal reputation as a teacher was continuously
spreading. Around 1931 Sokaku Takeda visited Kobukan, however due to Sokaku’s
excessive demands, their relationships had started becoming distant. By the mid
'30s, Morihei Ueshiba had become very popular, teaching not only at Kobukan
Dojo, but also in other locations.
In 1939, he
was invited in Manchuria, where he participated in a public martial
demonstration, during which he faced and immobilized, with one finger, a former
sumo wrestler. His visits in China and Manchuria continued even after Japan’s
involvement to the Second World War.
Kisshomaru became Head in young age with the words of his father: “I will leave it up to you to promote Aikido in society; I want to devote the rest of my life to further training.” In this way, Kisshomaru became responsible for the organization and promotion of Aikido, while Morihei after suspending his teaching in Tokyo, spent his time in Iwama perfecting his technique and spirit.
The role of
Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba (1921-1999) in the history of Aikido is of great
importance for the entire world community of Aikido. Kisshomaru was born at the
headquarters of Omoto, in Ayabe, on June 27, 1921. He moved with his family in
Tokyo in 1927 where he completed most of his formal education. Being born
within the budo environment, and growing up next to Morihei, he accompanied his
father to his teaching responsibilities as an uke.
The vision
of Kisshomaru Ueshiba was to spread Aikido, especially its spiritual aspects,
as a central part of the new Japanese generation’s daily life. That generation
meant to be primarily responsible for Japan’s post-war reconstruction.
Additionally, the Second Doshu had the strong belief that Japanese culture had
valuable things to offer the other nations, especially those who had won the
Second World War. He viewed his father’s creation as an excellent part of the
Japanese culture, being a martial art without fighting and with a positive
philosophy towards the opponent.
When the
Founder settled in Iwama, he entrusted his son the operation of Kobukan Dojo in
Tokyo. During the Second World War, Kobukan Dojo was nearly empty of students
and the building was in danger due to the bombings of Tokyo. Still a student of
Waseda University, Kisshomaru succeeded to save it from the fires and after the
end of the war, he allowed many homeless people to settle there. Then
Kisshomaru Ueshiba was sharing his time between Tokyo and Iwama, where the
administration of Aikido was relocated. He graduated from the Faculty
of Economics and Political Science of Waseda University in
1946.
It was in
1947 when the Kobukai Foundation was disbanded and the Aikikai
Foundation was established, receiving formal approval in 1948. Aikikai
is the parent organization of Aikido and the original organization of the
Founder. In 1949 the regular program of Hombu was resumed, organized by
Kisshomaru. During the early 50ies Kisshomaru Ueshiba having a family and
several uchi-deshi to take care, was employed full-time, while in the morning
and the evening, he was holding Aikido classes. He quitted his job in 1955 in
order to thoroughly concentrate on Aikido’s development.
Thus Aikido
started spreading in companies, schools, Universities, self defense forces and
abroad, while Morihei started travelling again throughout Japan, teaching and
lecturing. At the same time demonstrations started being organized in several
locations around the country, with one of the most known to be that on the roof
of Takashimaya mall in Nihonbashi of Tokyo. However in 1960, the Aikikai
Foundation sponsored the first open to the general public Aikido demonstration,
which was established and continues until today as the annual All Japan
Aikido Demonstration with thousands of participants and viewers from
all around the world and with large national media covering it. So Aikido
gained wide recognition.
In 1961,
Morihei was invited to Hawaii in order to teach during the opening ceremony of
Honolulu’s central dojo. It was also during 1961 when the All-Japan
Student Aikido Federation was established. In 1967, the old wooden
Hombu Dojo was replaced by a new modern concrete building, while in 1973 the building was modernised and a forth and fifth floor were added. In January 1969,
O-Sensei gave his last demonstration at Kagami Biraki.
The Founder
of Aikido, O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba passed away on April 26, 1969. The vision
of O-Sensei for Aikido as a Way of Peace and Love enjoys the recognition and
appreciation worldwide.O-Sensei received the Medal with Purple Ribbon of Honor from the Japanese Government (1960), the award of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette (1964), the award of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (1969), and the rank of Sho-Goi (fifth rank in the imperial court) (1969, posthumously). After his death, Kisshomaru Ueshiba was appointed
Second Aikido Doshu and continued his work promoting Aikido in Japan and
abroad.
In November
1975, a meeting was held in Madrid, Spain during which the bases were set for
the establishment of an international Aikido organization and so in 1976,
the International Aikido Federation (IAF) was founded. It was
also the same year that the All Japan Aikido Association was
established making 1976 a milestone for the development of the art globally.
Second
Doshu, like O-Sensei, received many medals and awards from the Imperial House,
the Japanese state and foundations from all around the world. Doshu Kisshomaru
Ueshiba passed away on January 4, 1999. After his death he received a special
certificate from the Prime Minister of Japan in recognition of his life-work.
During the
history of the art different people contributed to the development and spread
of Aikido in Japan and abroad, but it was Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba who led the
theorizing, the structural organization and the dissemination of O-Sensei’s
teaching.
Beginning
with the women classes at Hombu, Doshu started instructing Aikido around 1974
and in 1975 he travelled abroad for first time, accompanying his father in
Europe. In 1976, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Meiji
Gakuin University.
It was
around 1979, when his father, Kisshomaru, fell ill for a while that Moriteru
Ueshiba started pursuing his teaching duties with an eye to his future as the
next Aikido Doshu. In 1980, he travelled to the US and in 1986, Doshu Moriteru
became a Master of Hombu Dojo and after ten years, in 1996, he became General
Director of Hombu and Chairman of the Aikikai Foundation. He assumed the title
of Aikido Doshu in 1999, after his father passed away. In the same year, Doshu
Moriteru became Permanent Chairman of the International Aikido Federation. In
2012, he was awarded the Medal of Honor from the Polytechnic University of
Valencia and in 2013 he received the Medal with Blue Ribbon from the Emperor
and the Japanese Government.
In 1981 the
son of the present Doshu, Mitsuteru Ueshiba was born. Waka Sensei follows an intensive program of training and teaching aikido. He
gives many overseas seminars. Waka Sensei was the Aikido Ambassador at the
World Combat Games 2013 in St. Petersburg. According to the tradition,
Waka-Sensei is expected to succeed his father and become the Fourth Aikido
Doshu of the world Aikido community. On April the 1st 2015, Mitsuteru Ueshiba was appointed Dojo-cho (The Head of the Dojo) of Hombu Dojo.
In 2002,
the All-Japan High School Aikido Federation is established on May 25th and in
August the All-Japan High School Aikido Demonstration is held at the Tokyo
Budokan.
On April of
2012, the Aikikai Foundation registers as a public-interest incorporated
foundation.
SOURCES:
Bibliography
“A Life in
Aikido: The Biography of Founder Morihei Ueshiba”, by Kisshomaru Ueshiba
(Kodansha)
“The Art of
Aikido: Principles and Essential Techniques”, by Kisshomaru Ueshiba (Kodansha)
“The Aikido
Master Course- Best Aikido 2”, by Moriteru Ueshiba (Kodansha)
Web
Aikido
World Headquarters – Aikikai Foundation: www.aikikai.or.jp