Aikido, a traditional Japanese martial art, was developed in the early part of the 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), known as O-Sensei (venerable teacher). O-Sensei, the founder of Aikido, was born in 1883 in Tanabe, Japan. From the time of his youth, he studied various martial arts, eventually including sumo, swordsmanship, spear technique, staff technique, and various styles of jujutsu, particularly the Yagyu and Daito styles.

From youth, O-Sensei also appeared to have been a deeply spiritual person. Eventually influenced by the charismatic spiritual leader and artist Onisaburo Deguchi, he came to view his martial training as a means of personal purification and spiritual training. The time of O-Sensei's life saw Japan involved in some of the most violent conflicts of the 20th century, culminating in the Pacific war. However, it was during this time that he founded Aikido and declared it to be a way of joining the peoples of the world together in peace. In this way, Aikido is truly Budo - a martial Way - rather than simply a bujutsu (martial technique) or bugei (martial art). When martial training is undertaken not simply as a means to conquer others, but as a means to refine and perfect the self, this can be said to be Budo. The famous motto of O-Sensei, "Masakatsu Agatsu", contains the essence of the spirit of Aikido: "True victory is victory over the self."

The universality of O-Sensei's insights, and his vision of the martial Way being open to all sincere persons internationally, have led to the phenomenal growth of Aikido around the world. The noble philosophies and intentions of the samurai have become a part of world culture, and give spiritual sustenance to millions of persons who choose to engage in sincere Budo training. This is largely due to the groundbreaking influence of Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei. (Information gathered from the Aikido Association of America)

Aikido is an effective means of self-defense; however, its techniques are grounded in non-violent responses to aggression. Aikido is a non-competitive art, unlike many other martial arts, such as Karate, Kempo, Judo or Tae Kwan Do. In place of competitions, regional and national seminars are used as a means of bringing Aikido practitioners together to share their expertise and assist in one another's growth and development.

The focus of Aikido training at Zenshinkan Dojo is to push through the barriers and limitations that we impose on ourselves and move toward a realization of our true nature. In this way, we consider our Aikido training to be a spiritual practice. Clear transmission of Aikido technique and application of Aikido principles in our daily lives is emphasized in each class. The techniques that we learn and practice are a manifestation of our inner development. Through rigorous training and persistence we refine ourselves and pass what we have learned on to others.

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Intro to Aikido Training Course!