Morihei Ueshiba, Founder
Born on December 14th 1883 in Tanabe, Wakayana prefecture. His father, Yoroku Ueshiba was a well to do farmer who owned and farmed five acres of land. His mother, Yuki Itokawa, also came from a landowning family of noble descent. The family was widely respected in the local community, his father serving on the village council for twenty years.
At the age of seven Morihei was sent to study Confusion Classics and Buddhist Scriptures at a Buddhist Temple of the Shingon Sect. He was fascinated with the Buddhist saint Kobo Daishi and stories of the miracles he performed. When Morihei started to have recurring dreams his father, concerned, decided it was time for Morihei to get involve in more physical pursuits; he began teach his son sumo and swimming.
After attending Tanabe Higher Elementary School and then the Tanabe Prefecture Middle School, Morihei went on to the Yoshida Abacus Institute. Once he had obtained his diploma he found employment in the local Tax Office.
In 1902 Morihei went to Tokyo and eventually set up his own stationery business called Ueshiba Trading. It was during this first stay in Tokyo that he began his study of martial arts learning traditional jujutsu and kenjutsu. Unfortunately later that same year Morihei developed beri-beri and had to return to Tanabe. Soon after his return he got married to Hatsu Itokawa, someone he had known since childhood.
In 1903 Morihei joined the army where he soon became know as “The King of Soldiers” for his bravery and his skill, especially with his bayonet. During his time in the army he continued to study martial arts in his spare time. He was sent to the front during the Russo-Japanese war going as a corporal, and returning as a sergeant having been promoted.
After his stint in the army Morihei returned home to work on the family farm. He was involved in local politics and was the leader of the Young Men’s Association. During this time his father converted the family barn into a dojo and engaged the judoka Kiyoichi Takagi, to act as teacher. It was here the Morihei learned the Kodokan style of judo. He also continued his studies at other dojos as well and received a certificate from the Goto school.
Morihei remained in Takabe until in 1910 he became interested in a government plan to settle Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. He formed a settlement group with a number of volunteers from the local Young Men’s Association. He became leader of the band know as the Kishu Group. Fifty-four households, over eighty people in all. They left for Hokkaido in March 1912, they arrived in May and settled in a place called Shirataki.
The village of Shirataki still stands today. The group had to struggle with bad weather and poor soil quality, to turn the wasteland into cultivated plots. After many hardships they did succeed and established a timber industry as well as dairy farms, rearing horses and growing mint. During this time in Hakkaido, Morihei trained with Sokaku Takeda, the well known master of daito-ryu.
