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GENERAL INFORMATION
HISTORY
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Aikido is a modern martial art created in Japan over 60 years ago by Master Morihei Ueshiba. Ueshiba, now known as O'Sensei (Great Teacher), was born in 1883 and dedicated the whole of his life to the study of all of the ancient Japanese martial arts. After many years of severe training and study, he came to the conclusion that the belligerent use of the martial arts in contests that were intended to prove who was better, were self-defeating and contrary to the laws of nature. One day, after a discussion with a swordsman, he was attacked with a wooden sword and O'Sensei was able to evade all of his strikes without harming his attacker. It was then that he received the enlightenment that budo, or the martial way, was not for the purpose of building the ego or conquering others but for the protection of all living things. It was out of this enlightenment along with his personal philosophical studies and martial training that Aikido, "the way of harmonizing the spirit", was born. O'Sensei went on to create a martial art that uses the energy of the opponent and the natural laws of the universe to be able to subdue any attacker without harming them. Because of it's non-violent philosophy and powerful techniques, Aikido is the martial art taught to the elite Japanese police force in Tokyo Japan and is now practiced by over one million people throughout the world. We at the ShinKiKan dojo are privileged to have Hiroshi Kato, a direct student of the founder of Aikido and one of the highest ranking aikidoists in the world, as our chief instructor from the World Headquarters of Aikido in Tokyo, Japan.
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