A Brief History of Aikido
The word Aikido (合氣道) was coined by Morihei Ueshiba in 1942, but its roots can be traced to the 11th century. Like Karatedo, Aikido incorporates the character do (道) to suggest a way or a path rather than a mere system of martial techniques. Aikido was adapted from older martial arts, primarily Daityo-ryu Jujutsu (also known as Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu), a samurai art taught secretly in the Takeda Clan for generations until it reached Sokaku, Ueshiba’s most influential martial arts instructor. Though Ueshiba had trained in numerous other martial arts, it was Daito-ryu that he relied upon as the source of his Aikido techniques.
Before meeting Sokaku Takeda in 1915, Morihei Ueshiba had trained in numerous martial arts, but it is clear that his most significant martial training was in Daito-ryu. Despite his diminutive stature he dedicated himself to rigorous training and went to great lengths to enlist himself in the military, being rejected initially because he did not meet the height requirements. After finally enlisting, Ueshiba studied military arts (bayonet and sword) and was promoted to sergeant after serving in the Russo-Japanese war. In 1908 he was awarded a menkyo kaiden (master certificate) in Yagyu Shingan-ryu (柳生心眼流), which he had studied since 1903.
Yagyu Shingan-ryu is a samurai art that dates back to the 17th century. The word shingan (心眼) refers to the ability to “see with the mind’s eye.” Yagyu Shingan-ryu then is an art that partners philosophy with martial teachings. For seeing with the mind’s eye has nothing to do with the physical act of seeing. It is not a way of staring down your opponent, nor is it a way of capturing your opponent’s spirit. It is a figure of speech that depends upon the ubiquitous use of light as a metaphor for knowledge (thereby making sight a metaphor for understanding). The implications of this will be discussed further in Part III: Hokkon-ho Ogi. What is remarkable at this point is that both Yagyu Shingan-ryu and Aikido are not martial art systems but are in fact forms of mysticism.
Ueshiba studied Daito-ryu until he was granted his teaching license in 1922. The art he taught he called Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu until 1936 when he began calling it Aikibudo. During that time he also became involved in a Shinto-based cult called Omoto-kyo (大本教). The core beliefs of Omoto-kyo are that all religions are but different paths to the same end and that the ultimate goal of religious practice is to become one with God. These are the tenants of mysticism—Ueshiba throughout his life was influenced by different forms of this particular path to “enlightenment.”
Ueshiba’s spiritual obsession resulted in a profound experience in 1925—after a sparring session with a competent swordsman, he retired to his garden and was bathed in light. He described experiencing a feeling of oneness, a unification of mind, body, and spirit. After this he felt as though he had transcended human consciousness. But these are not the things that happen after years of martial arts training. Necessarily. These are the very traits of mystical experience that humans have described for centuries. And there is an evolutionary advantage to the mystical experience clearly evinced in the level of skill and knowledge Ueshiba demonstrated in subsequent years.
In 1942 Ueshiba settled on the name Aikido, and the art began to grow. One of Ueshiba’s top students, Koichi Tohei, traveled to Hawaii in 1953 to begin teaching Aikido there and lay the foundation for the “Silver Bridge” Ueshiba would construct in 1961. Between Tohei’s arrival and Ueshiba’s visit, Roy Suenaka began studying Ueshiba’s art. In 1961 Sensei Suenaka met O’Sensei Ueshiba and later that year after enlisting in the Air Force was stationed in Japan where he was able to study personally under the founder of Aikido.
After Ueshiba’s death in 1969, the international Aikido organization called Aikikai underwent some turmoil. Koichi Tohei eventually left Aikikai and founded his own organization, Ki No Kenkyūkai (Ki Society). Since Tohei was his first Aikido teacher, Sensei Suenaka went with him. When Tohei instructed his dojo-chos (school leaders) to remove O’Sensei’s picture from their schools, Sensei Suenaka left Ki Society and created his own organization, which is today known as Wadokai.
Hokkon-ho Aikijutsu
Hokkon-ho Aikijutsu is nearly identical to Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho Aikido—with changes made only to certain methods of training and pedagogy. We call this Aikijutsu instead of Aikido because it is merely one of three fighting arts that contribute to the Way of Hokkon-ho. Aikijutsu training focuses on:
- developing a rooted structure through Aikijutsu Aiki-taiso practice;
- testing this structure through waza, randori, and other exercises.
All training in Hokkon-ho Aikijutsu is founded upon four basic principles.
Four Basic Principles of Aikido
The following are the basic principles that apply to the practice of Aikido, as taught to me by my teacher. They can be applied to the Karate Kihon and Qigong exercises as well. There is redundancy among the different sets of principles, which emphasizes the importance of those particular concepts.
- Keep one point.
- Relax completely.
- Weight underside.
- Extend ki.
Suenaka-ha Aiki-taiso
Aiki-taiso—like Taikyokuken Kiko and Karate Kihon—are the foundation for Hokkon-ho Aiki-jutsu training. Suenaka-ha Aiki-taiso are basic exercises that should be performed regularly. The techniques are taken from Koichi Tohei’s adaptations of movements O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba himself used in Aikido training. The order of the exercises is important, though the number of repetitions can be adapted to suit your training time—these exercises can be done in 20 minutes or practiced for several hours. The following video is intended to support students of Hokkon-ho Budo and is not intended to be the sole source of instruction for the Aiki-taiso.