Morihei Ueshiba, the Founder of Aikido, was born on December 14, 1883 and died on April 26, 1969. He is called O'Sensei (Great Teacher) by his many students and by those whose lives he has enriched through the creation of Aikido.

O'Sensei's lifetime spanned a time of profound transition for Japanese society. It began in the last stages of feudalism and ended in the midst of a technologically sophisticated modern world. It started at a time when almost everyone wore the traditional clothes which we now associate only with period Japanese samurai movies. And it ended at a time when only a few martial traditionalists still dressed in the time honored tradition of the warrior class. Like everyone who was born just before the turn of the 20th century, he watched the world go from isolated, regional conflicts to global wars which threated total destruction by nuclear weapons.

And throughout his lifetime he studied two things: martial arts (fighting skills) and religion (spiritual skills). His gift of Aikido merged these two seemingly diametrically opposed worlds into one. By using the guiding principles of all religions - love and compassion - as a foundation for dealing with aggression, he shifted the world's consciousness about what is possible when confronted with a violent attack. Instead of simply destroying an attacker with superior strength and skill, O'Sensei taught that you could transform the attacker with your energy and actions.

Through his many arduous years training in budo (Japanese martial arts), he became very strong and was considered unbeatable. However, his many years of religious study left him troubled by the idea of winning at someone else's expense. He felt that as long as there was a winner and a loser, there was no real victory. And he came to the realization that true victory is not winning over others, but winning over the discord and disharmony within yourself.

He modified the martial movements he had learned over the years to express this realization. As a result, Aikido was born as a way to divert harm to one's self while not having to resort to violence. As you study Aikido, it becomes clear that it is not only an effective means of self-defense, it is also a way to understanding life and relationships.

The goal of Aikido is not to simply defeat an attacker. The goal of Aikido is to turn that attack into a friendship. By doing so, harmony is restored and suffering is transformed. By studying our own fears and aggression, we begin the process of transformation within ourselves. By doing Aikido, we are learning how to express love and compassion at all times - even at times of personal danger.

O'Sensei's vision of the world as one family continues to live today in the minds and the hearts of all of us who have chosen this path as our own.