The roots of modern AIKIDO lie in aiki-jujutsu.  Bujutsu (martial training) played a prominent part in the creation  of the Japanese warrior class.  Aiki-jujutsu was only one of a number of schools at that time teaching martial skills, and all the schools encouraged a strict code of discipline and secrecy around training methods and techniques.

When gunpowder and firearms were introduced the ancient skills began to decline, and warriors were trained in firearm drills.

In the nineteenth century Sokaku Takeda decided to revive the Takeda family's system.  He travelled up and down Japan teaching aiki-jujutsu.  His son, Tokimune Takeda continued the school, which he named Daito-ryu. Morihei Ueshiba studied in the school under Sokaku Takeda.  He was by then already a knowledgeable master of the martial arts.

Morihei Ueshiba was born in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan.  He studied at various marital arts schools throughout Japan including Takeda's school until he became proficient in each system.  He became focussed on improving his martial skills until he became, at least in his own mind, invincible.  It was at this stage in his life that he began to suspect that martial arts were more than just a way of defeating another person.  He now pursued this philosophical aspect by spending hours in meditation.  The realisation that came from this reflection was that martial arts were a unity of mind and body.

He then created a new art, to fulfil the principle of spiritual and physical harmony from his reflections.

He named this art AIKIDO.

His teaching career spanned 50 years and he is noted for his ethical and humanistic views of the martial arts, which hold the concept of non-conflict, rather than the defeat of an adversary, as the ideal.  By co-ordination of one's movement with another's, one could learn to use the opponents strength to neutralise the attack.

Morihei Ueshiba passed away in 1969.  His disciples carried this message across the world forming different schools and styles of Aikido  The most important aspect of this art is that although there are many different styles of Aikido, the heart of Aikido lies in non-resistance, non-violence, spiritual and physical harmony.