Born on 14th december 1883 in Tanabe, Morihei Ueshiba set off to Tokyo at the age of 19th. From then on,
he devoted his evenings to Jujutsu, Tenshin Shin'yo style, and to the sword practice, Shinkage school. During the war between Russia and Japan, he was posted nearby Osaka, where he practice with Masakatsu Nakaï
so as to study Jujutsu, the sword and the halberd of Yagyu school. In 1911,he settled in Hokkaïdo, and met Sokaku Takeda there, who founded the Daïto Ryu Aïkijujutsu in 1915. In 1919, he received a telegram saying
his father was seriously ill. He decided to return to Tanabe and, having stop in Ayabé, met Révérend Onisaburo Déguchi, a charismatic man who was leading the Omoto-kyo sect. After his father's death, Morihei Ueshiba settled in Ayabe with all of his family. At the age of 36th, he started teaching budo to the members of Omoto-kyo. In 1924, he left Ayabe and set off to Mongolia, together with Reverend Deguchi. Both returned unharmed in july 1924. It was in 1925 that his art was revealed to him, during a fightwith a marine officer and Kendo expert.

In 1926, Ueshiba, urged by admiral Takeshita, left for Tokyo. In june 1927, his third son, Kishomaru Ueshiba was born. From 1927 to 1931, Morihei Ueshiba taught in various dojos. In 1931, the permanent dojo in Wakamatsu-cho was poned, taking the name of Kobukan. In 1942, Morihei Ueshiba withdrew to his farm in Iwama. His son, Kishomaru Ueshiba, henceforth took the direction of Kobukan which became the Aïkikaï in 1948. Morihei Ueshiba died on the 26th april 1969 aged 86th. His son maintained the development of Aïkikaï and allowed the expansion of Aïkido. Thereafter, famous names were representing Aïkido throughout the world, such as Ozawa Sensei et Yamaguchi Sensei. Kishomaru Ueshiba died the 4th january 1999. His son Moriteru Ueshiba was named Doshu and has become the official Aïkido representative on an international level.