We would like to bring to your attention that we have republished the authoritative work by Katsuyuki Kondo, Menkyo Kaiden, titled Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Hiden Mokuroku.

This is the first book in English to introduce the technical curriculum of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu as originally taught by Sokaku Takeda. It contains the 31 techniques of the ikkajo series of the Hiden Mokuroku, the first level of study in Daito-ryu.

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

This series of major changes within the organization brought the founder an official role as “Head of Agricultural Affairs.” This Office of Agricultural Affairs was in a position to regulate everything pertaining to the physical aspects of life at Omoto, food, clothing, and housing, and was also responsible for correcting the terrible state of economic affairs. This was to be achieved by a sort of “boot straps” effort at making the organization self-supporting. The founder applied himself single-mindedly to clearing new field land, since Omoto adhered to a strict vegetarianism, and supplying enough vegetables to meet their needs was a persistent problem. Here the experiences of the founder during the opening of Shirataki village were put to good use…

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

We have nearly forty dojos, with a total of about six hundred members. The reason we have grown to be such a large organization is, I believe, due to our use of the seminar system, which began at the Asahi Newspaper Company for teaching groups of students. Originally, the classical martial ways were taught one-on-one, as individual lessons. I suspect that Sokaku Takeda O-Sensei taught on an individual basis as well. However, we could not teach the way it was done in places such as the Asahi Newspaper Dojo, and so we organized things into a seminar-style approach where we gathered together those who wanted to learned and taught them.

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Sokaku was not in a particular hurry, so if he had not heard of these notorious three bandits, he would have crossed the pass with the other travelers the next morning. However, having just heard the story from the old man, Sokaku disregarded his advice due to his natural sense of justice and spirit of adventure. The pass crossing the mountain was in bad condition and narrow. By the time he reached the summit, he had failed to find even a single bandit. At that point he began to descend. It was gradually becoming darker as the sun had set. Then, as he rounded a curve, he suddenly encountered the so-called three bandits who looked very strong as they carried mountain swords at their waists.

“The dojo has been attacked, it’s space violated with deliberate force and intention to do harm. Let’s respond to this attack with active, heartfelt Love,” she wrote. ‘Send the dojo love, blessing and light. Send the attacker love, blessing and light.’”

Brian Kagen is an avid web researcher with a particular interest in martial arts. His training background includes both judo and aikido. He has contributed hundreds of article links over the years for AJ readers.

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Morihei Ueshiba was about 36 years old when he first encountered Onisaburo Deguchi (1919) in Ayabe when diverted from his journey home to Tanabe from Hokkaido at news that his father had been taken seriously ill. After meeting a member of the Omoto sect on the train, Ueshiba decided to make a quick detour to the Omoto Center in Ayabe to meet the “gifted” teacher, Onisaburo and pray for his father’s recovery. Upon his arrival in Tanabe, he found that his efforts were in vane for his father had already died. However, he was so impressed with Onisaburo that shortly thereafter he relocated his family to Ayabe where he proceeded to engage in farming and spiritual training under the tutelage of Deguchi. It was at this time (in the early 1920’s) that he began to teach an early form of what is today known as Aikido with the encouragement of Onisaburo who recognized his extraordinary physical prowess and martial skills. He called the art he was teaching at that time “Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over the years. 2008 was an exciting and productive year. We are now in our fourth decade of publishing and hope to grow with you for many more years as we walk together down the Aiki Path. On behalf of myself and the staff of Aikido Journal, I would like to wish you and yours a happy and fulfilling 2009!

Stanley Pranin
Editor, Aikido Journal

With the launch of our special offer of a free back issue DVD containing all issues of Aiki News/Aikido Journal ever published—more than 4,300 pages—for those who subscribe or renew for two years, we realized that some of the younger folk and newcomers have no idea about the magazine that was published for 26 years.

Well, I wrote an article more than 20 years ago that goes into detail about how Aiki News, which eventually became Aikido Journal, was born back in 1974. Here is an excerpt from that article that will fill you in on the details:

…[T]he initial impetus which eventually led to the publication of AIKI NEWS was my first trip to Japan during the summer of 1969. It was a mere two months after the death of the Founder. I had almost cancelled my plans out of sadness and disappointment at not being able to meet 0-Sensei. I was at that time a lean, impoverished, but eager university student, largely ignorant of Japanese ways. There are those who would question whether or not there has been any fundamental change, but at least it can be said that I am no longer a university student! I remember in my excitement taking a taxi directly from the Haneda airport to Hombu Dojo. Now that’s enthusiasm for you!

“Though to some extent speculative and without the space to quote or cite sources and secondary references, these columns are really intended as a sort of preliminary sketch for a history of aikido as a martial art. No such history has ever been published, though I know that at least one person is planning to write one. The biography written by Kisshomaru Ueshiba offers the most detailed evidence of the actual life of Morihei Ueshiba, but this was written as a biography or monument to a great man (admittedly with the occasional warts and blemishes allowed to appear) and not as a dispassionate record of the creation of aikido. Even so, these columns have a slightly different focus than a general history. I am concerned to study the dynamics of the evolution of the art, how it changed from being an expression of the personal training of one individual to becoming a self-standing entity in its own right.”

Brian Kagen is an avid web researcher with a particular interest in martial arts. His training background includes both judo and aikido. He has contributed hundreds of article links over the years for AJ readers.

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

In about 1932, I visited Ueshiba Sensei’s newly-built dojo in Wakamatsu-cho through an introduction of Konishi Sensei and saw O-Sensei’s technique. I felt that his technique was really great and became an ardent admirer. I also studied Katori Shinto-ryu. The Founder of the Kodokan, Jigoro Kano, encouraged his high-ranking students to study other Japanese traditional martial arts because he thought that Judo alone was insufficient. So he sent a messenger to the Katori Shinto-ryu dojo. Katori Shinto-ryu is a dojo as well as a school which has a history going back about 600 years.

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Let me begin by stating categorically that the major technical influence on the development of aikido is Daito-ryu jujutsu. This art, which is said to be the continuation of a martial tradition of the Aizu Clan dating back several hundred years, was propagated in many areas of Japan during the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods by the famous martial artist, Sokaku Takeda. Known equally for his martial prowess and severity of character, Takeda had used his skills in life-and-death encounters on more than one occasion.

The Aikido Journal staff and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you who celebrate Christmas a wonderful holiday! We hope that you will be able to spend quality time with your family and loved ones.

Stanley Pranin and the AJ Staff