Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba (know as “O Sensei” or “Great Teacher”) around 1930. He formulated this new art after intense study of several other martial arts most notably Daito Ryu Jujutsu, under Sokaku Takeda.
His first teacher was Takisaburo Tozawa of the Kito school of Jujutsu. In 1903 Ueshiba Sensei entered the army and fought in the Russo-Japanese war. He was well known for his fortitude and fighting spirit. He was only 5 feet 2 inches but weighed 180lb. In 1908, at the age of 25 he received a certificate from the Yagyu sword school after studying with master Masakatsu Nakai. In 1916, at the age of 33, he received a certificate from Sokaku Takeda the head of the Daito Ryu school of Jujutsu. Daito Ryu is possibly the school to which Ueshiba’s new art bears the closest relation in it’s unarmed technique. In 1922 he studied Shinkage Ryu Jujutsu and from 1924-5 Sojutsu (spear).
Ueshiba was active in local politics helping to resolve fishing and boundary disputes. In 1910 he led a group of settlers to Hokkaido, the then sparsely populated Northern-most island of Japan. He was later elected to the village council. He was a devoutly religious man having studied Shingon and Zen Buddhism from an early age. He met Onisaburo Deguchi in 1918 and became a follower and close companion of his. In 1924 Ueshiba Sensei travelled to Mongolia with Deguchi with the aim of establishing a community based on the values of his Omoto Kyo religion. The party was captured by Chinese soldiers and narrowly escaped execution. In 1925, following a duel with a naval officer who was an expert swordsman, Ueshiba had a mystical experience. He described it thus: “…. a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled my body, and changed my body into a golden one…. At that moment I was enlightened: the source of Budo is god’s love - the spirit of loving protection for all things.” This incident marked a watershed in the evolution of Ueshiba’s art from a predominantly martial technique to a method with a philosophical foundation.
In 1931, the Kobukan, a permanent dojo (training hall) was built, on the site of the present headquarters in Shinjuku, Tokyo. 1948 saw the founding of the Aikikai, the organisation controlling the practice and teaching of Aikido. During the early 50’s several senior teachers were sent abroad, Mochizuke to France, Tohei to the USA and Yamaguchi to Burma. Since then, under the directorship of Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the founder’s son, Aikido has continued to spread and is practised in many countries throughout the world. The present Headmaster of The Aikikai is Moriteru Ueshiba, the grandson of Morihei Ueshiba. Several of Ueshiba’s prominent students, such as Gozo Shioda, Koichi Tohei and Tomiki went on to found organisations of their own.
Kashima Shinryu - A Brief History
More detailed information about the history of Kashima Shinryu can be found in the book "Legacies of the Sword" by Karl Friday. The history below is a summary and may not have the historical accuracy of Karl Friday's research.
The sword style known as Kashima Shinryu (lit. divine school of Kashima) developed during Japan's turbulent medieval period. Records of sword study associated with the Kashima Shrines, located in the provinces north of modern Tokyo, go as far back as the 14th Century (legend takes them back to the 8th Century), and it is said that the Kashima teachings are the core of Budo. The Kashima Shinryu style dates form the early 16th century, and originated with Matsumoto Bizen-no-kami and Kunii Kagetsugu ("Genpachiro").
Matsumoto (1468-1524?) was chief retainer of the Shirakawa Kashima Shrine in modern Fukushima. A distinguished commander, he abandoned his official duties to devote himself to the search for a budo which would embody the unification of thought and action in a perfect homage to the divine spirits of Kashima.
Genhachiro (1477-1543) was 22nd head of the Kunii family, a samurai clan which held lands around Yasukawa castle in the province of Hitachi (now Ibaraki prefecture). He traveled to the Kashima Grand Shrine, where he met Matsumoto and trained together with him, helping to develop the techniques which came to be called Kashima Shinryu.
Between 1477 and 1600, Japan was racked with constant fighting between feudal lords. Takeda Shingen, one of the greatest Samurai generals of the day learned Kashima Shinryu from Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami who fought in his campaigns. Takeda valued him and his ryu highly.
However, Takeda and his allies were vanquished in a series of battles in 1573 against the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu. As Ieyasu strengehened his grip on the east, the political position of the Kunii family and their allies became increasingly precarious. In 1603, Kunii Yajiro Yoshimasa, the 5th head of the school, fought on the losing side in the decisive battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu unified Japan and instituted the Shogunate which lasted until 1868.
Because of its association with Takeda and the loyalist cause, Kashima Shinryu was banned by the Tokugawas, and its practitioners were forced into hiding or exile. Although the Kunii family was officially head of the school, the generations following Yoshimasa could not openly practice, and some of the Kunii line did not practice budo at all. The Kunii family withdrew to Fukushima after the advent of the Tokugawa regime, and became yeoman-farmers.
However, the secret techniques of Kashima were kept going by a succession of the masters following Matsumoto. Okuyama Kyugasai, the first master was respected by Ieyasu, and allowed to teach the Shinkage-ryu style. The next master, Ogasawara Genjin was forced to flee to China, returning only after the death of the Shogun.
For the next 200 years the Kashima teachings were covertly passed down the line of master swordsmen associated with the Kunii clan. In the early 19th century, Kunii Taizen, the 34th head of the clan and 12th head of Kashima Shinryu, was the fourth generation of his house to hold a post that involved supervising a shogunal rice storage facility. His role in distributing rice stores to aid the people in time of famine got him fired, and almost got him executed. He was also obliged to renounce his samurai status, and spent the rest of his life as a farmer and inn keeper. Taizen was an active student of Kashima and succeeded as master of the school. From this time on, the Kuniis dedicated themselves to the practice and teaching of Kashima.
A unique point of the teaching was the concept of Muso-ken, "no-thought sword", the tenets of which are reflected in the aphorism:
In sword, no sword - sword becomes one with the body
In body, no body - body becomes one with the Kami (divine spirit)
Like a firefly circling, shining with natural brilliance
No hesitation, no deception, no thought, no barrier...
Kunii Zen'ya (1895 - 1966) was the 18th headmaster of Kashima Shinryu. He studied under several teachers and is credited with re-establishing, revitalising and reconstructing Kashima Shinryu. His mastery was such that he became known as "the modern Musashi" or "the last of the sword-saints".
Kashima-no-Tachi Kenjutsu
Kashima no Tachi is the name given by Inaba sensei to what he teaches. The techniques derive from Kashima Shinryu which is an older traditional Japanese martial art (koryu), of which we concentrate on the kenjutsu (sword) techniques. Kashima Shinryu developed during Japan's turbulent mediaeval period, and its teachings are believed to be the core of Japanese martial arts. Swordsmanship helps develop well aligned and clearly focused movement, with power and subtlety. It also develops "ma-ai" - judgment of distance and accuracy of timing, which complements the study of Aikido although there are philosophical differences which require investigation and understanding.
This Japanese martial arts school has a history of hundreds of years. It was revitalised by Kunii Zen'ya, the 18th generation headmaster of Kashima Shinryu who died in 1966.
Our line of teaching is through Inaba sensei, the who was fomerly Kancho (Director) of the Shiseikan (and since his retirement is Meiyo Shihan or Honorary Shihan), located in the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo (one of the most important shrines in Japan). Inaba sensei studied directly with Kunii Zen'ya for a year and a half before his death. Inaba sensei is authorised to teach Kashima Shinryu Kenjutsu, but he is not part of the Kashima Shinryu Federation of Martial Sciences. In the view of some third parties, Inaba Sensei's understanding and demonstration of Kunii Sensei's teaching is unparalleled. While teaching under the name Kashima Shinryu for many years, Inaba sensei decided to rename his art Kashima no Tachi (sword of Kashima).
There is an excellent interview with Inaba sensei at the Aikido Journal online magazine (you will need to subscribe to read the article).
We focus mainly on then five sets of sword techniques using bokken (wooden swords, also known as bokuto) and fukurojinai (leather covered bamboo swords), although battojutsu (sword drawing) is also studied, as well as other weapons including jo and bo (yari or spear), and some of the specific Taijutsu techniques.
