Morihei Ueshiba

(植芝盛平) Martial artist and founder of Aikido. Known as O Sensei ("Great Teacher") by Aikidokas.

Born December 14th, 1883, in Wakayama Prefecture (now Tanabe), Japan. Died April 26th, 1969.

Morihei Ueshiba's Art of Aikido is heavily influenced by his study of Daito-ryu Aiki-jutsu which he was instructed in by Takeda Sokaku. On the spiritual side he was influenced by Deguchi Onisaburo, founder of the pacifistic Omoto-kyo sect. In 1927 master Ueshiba moved to Tokyo where he founded his first dojo, which still exists today under the name Hombu dojo. In 1942 he left Tokyo and moved to the prefecture of Iwama where the term Aikido was first used as a name for his art.

His son Kisshomaru Ueshiba became the second Doshu, the official heir and maintainer of Aikido, until his death in January 4th, 1999; the current Doshu is Kisshomaru Ueshiba's son Moriteru Ueshiba.