The Aikido Lineage down the Years Articles | Self Esteem

By: Darren Williger

O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba 12/14/1883 - 4/26/1969

When the O Sensei had completed his training in different forms of swordfighting and jujitsu, Ueshiba became quite famous as one of the strongest men of his time in Japan. Later on sometime around 1919 he became a convert to the teachings of the Omoto-Kyo religion and developed Aikido otherwise known as the Art of Peace. In 1942 the art was renamed Aikido and Ueshiba moved to the small town of Iwama where he taught Aikido until his death in 1969.

Kenki Tomiki 1900-1979

Tomiki was one of the earlier students of the Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. He was also a student of Jigoro Kano who was the one who founded the art of Judo. He joined Morihei Ueshiba in 1925 and in the same year he hard his 5th dan grading in Judo. In 1929 he represented the Miyagi Prefecture in their first judo tournament which was held with the Emperor attending. From 1936 to time of the Second World War he stayed in Manchuria where the taught Aikbudo which was an early form Aikido to the Kanton army as well as the Imperial Household Agency. In the year 1938 he was an assistant professor at the Kenkoku University which was also in Manchukuo. He was also awarded first 8th dan in Aikido in 1942 and was awarded an 8th dan in judo at the same time. When he returned from three year sojourn in the Soviet Union, he taught people both Judo and Aikido at the same time at the Waseda University.

Morihiro Saito Sensei 3/31/1928 - 5/12/2002

9th Dan Aikikai. Being an Iwama native, Morihiro Saito started training in Aikido in 1946 and became not only a student, but he was also a close confidant of O-Sensei for the following 23 year. When the founder's died he was put in charge of the Iwama dojo and became the guardian of the Aiki-shrine. Later on he was known for his books, his clear and structured way of teaching, and the organization of the huge number of techniques that became part of the Iwama-Ryu Aikido.

Hitohiro Saito Sensei 2/12/1957 -

6th dan Aikikai. B. Iwama, Ibaragi Prefecture. Aikido instructor. He was the only son and successor of Morihiro Saito. He started his Aikido training quite young at age seven under his father and Morihei Ueshiba. He features quite well in the Takemusu Aikido technical manual by Morihiro Saito. He frequently travels to countries around the world at the same time in order to deliver seminars.

Pat Hendricks Sensei 9/25/1955 -

6th Dan Aikikai. In 1975, Pat Hendricks commenced her Aikido career in Monterey, California. From the 1977, she has been travelling frequently to Japan for extended periods of time in order to study and learn as a live-in student under the tutelage of the famed Saito Sensei in Iwama. The dojo she currently has is called the Aikido of San Leandro and she gets some of the best students from the entire world including Japan. She also holds the highest possible degree in Aiki Ken and has a Jo Certification as well. She is also certified to test Aikido experts for the United States.

Michael McVey Sensei 9/28/1956 -

4th Dan Aikikai. Michael McVey was supervised by Pat Hendricks 6th dan. Michael is also a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and has been a licensed Special and Elementary Education Teacher. Michael has been teaching Aikido since 1989 since he started in 1984. He completed one year as an uchi deshi (apprentice instructor) for Hendricks Sensei in 1991.

Tetsuro Niriyama 11/21/1947

Tetsuro is a Japanese aikido teacher and he is the technical director of the Japan Aikido Association and he was also chief instructor (Shihan) of the Shodokan Hombu Dojo in Osaka, in Japan. He was appointed to this position by the first Kenjo Tomiki one of the Morihei Ueshiba’s first uchi-deshi.