Aikido

The founder of Aikido was Master Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). He created
Aikido as a path to universal harmony and world peace, believing that Aikido
was a way of attaining this goal and that violence and aggression could be
turned aside by harmony of spirit.

Although invincible as a warrior, he was above all a man of peace who detested
fighting, war, and any kind of violence. His way was Aikido, which is known as
the “Art of Peace”. Morihei Ueshiba is known to Aikido students everywhere as
O-sensei, ‘Great Teacher’.

Morihei Ueshiba sought out and studied under masters in many traditional martial arts,
eventually becoming expert at a number of styles of jujutsu (unarmed combat), kenjutsu
(fencing) and sojutsu (spear fighting).

As his reputation grew, O-sensei opened his first full-size aiki-budo dojo in 1931 in
Tokyo. Students came from all over Japan to train with him.  During World War II he
moved to Iwama in Ibaragi prefecture to farm and study in peace. He opposed
Japan’s participationin the war. During this period O-sensei was inspired to rename
his art “Aikido”.

Dissatisfied with mere strength and technical mastery, O-sensei also
immersed himself in religious and philosophical studies.  O-sensei understood
that continued fighting -with others, with ourselves, and with the environment -
will destroy the earth. He said: “The world will continue to change dramatically, but
fighting and war can destroy us utterly. What we need now are techniques of harmony,
not those of contention.  The Art of Peace is required, not the Art of War”.

O-sensei taught the Art of Peace as a creative mind-body discipline, as a practical
means of handling aggression and as a way of life that fosters fearlessness, wisdom,
love and friendship.  He believed that its principles of reconciliation, harmony,
cooperation, and empathy could be applied bravely to all the challenges we face in
life:  in personal relationships, in business, and in our interactions with nature.

O-sensei continued to practice and teach Aikido into his old age. Observers
would marvel at his abilities, vitality, and good humour; he was still giving public
demonstrations ofAikido at 86, four months before his death. O-sensei’s
approach to self-development was intense and unflagging.  He constantly refined
his art.  Just before his death he said, “This old man must still train and train”. 
After he passed away on 26 April 1969, the Japanese government declared
Morihei Ueshiba a Sacred National Treasure of Japan.

Aikido Yuishinkai

Koretoshi Maruyama was born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, on October 5, 1936.
He graduated from the Economics Department of Keio University in March of 1956,
after which he joined his father's business, Maruyama Manufacturing.
He became interested in the martial arts from his Middle School years, and
at his father's urging he took up Judo and earned a black belt. Again at his father's
urging, in his first year of college, he entered the Rikidozan School of Professional
Wrestling, and also trained in weight lifting and boxing, while continuing his training
in Judo at the Kodokan.

In the spring of his third year of college, he began to develop doubts about the martial
arts of judo, wrestling and boxing, which emphasized a mere contest of strength.
At this point he entered the Aikikai, as well as the Keio University Aikido Club. It was
here that he found in Aikido what he had been searching for all those years, a martial
art which did not depend on strength, and taught the right attitude of mind. After he
graduated from Keio University, he continued his training in Aikido, while working
in the family business.

In 1967 he delegated his responsibilities in the family business so that he could
become a full time professional Aikido instructor, under the tutelage of the founder
of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, and dedicate himself to the martial art that taught the
principles of mind and Ki.

In 1971 he went to Hawaii for 4 months, to teach Aikido on each of the islands. In
1972, he resigned from the Aikikai to become the Chief Instructor of the Ki no
Kenkyukai, founded in September of 1971 by Koichi Tohei Sensei, who granted
Maruyama Sensei the rank of 8th-dan.

In 1973 he became responsible for teaching in Hawaii, and for 10 years taught Ki
Principles at the University of Hawaii in Hilo, as well as at Keio University Physical
Education Research Department in Japan. From 1977 he studied with Haruchika
Noguchi Sensei how to heal and help people with Ki and use Ki in daily life. At the
same time, he also studied the psychology of Zen from the Zen Priest Shogen
Munou, from whom he learned how to use the mind positively.

During this time, he also travelled extensively to Hawaii, many states in America,
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, Guam, United Kingdom, Italy
and other parts of Europe, teaching Aikido and Ki Principles, and eventually
becoming the President of Ki no Kenkyukai in 1990. However he began to have
reservations about the direction and policies of the Ki Society, and resigned from
this position on July 29, 1991. From this time he undertook a period of 10 years
in a temple in Saitama Prefecture, intensively training in the philosophy and practice
that 'You are fundamentally Mind.' He left the temple on October 9, 2001, during
which time he had received permission from the temple priest to establish Aikido
Yuishinkai on May 9, 1996, which he has continued to develop until the present day.

As a result of this 10-year period of training, he developed the Motto for Members
of Aikido Yuishinkai, something that is read aloud by members on awakening,
after training, and before going to sleep