Genbukan Macclesfield Aikido Dojo

Aikido's founder, Morihei Ueshiba was born in rural Japan in 1883. A sickly and weak child he was happier reading his books rather than taking physical exercise. After an incident where his father, a local politician, was beaten by his political rival's thugs, Morihei became determined to make himself stronger. Morihei started to study in Tenshin Shinyo-ryu Jujutsu under Tokusaburo Tozawa in Tokyo and later was to study Daito-ryu Aiki-Jujutsu, which he studied under Sokaku Takeda, a master practitioner and reviver of this fighting art.