The Aikido Lineage Down The Years

O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba 12/14/1883 - 4/26/1969Iwama-Ryu Aikido.
When the O Sensei had completed his training inHitohiro Saito Sensei 2/12/1957 -
different forms of swordfighting and jujitsu,6th dan Aikikai. B. Iwama, Ibaragi Prefecture.
Ueshiba became quite famous as one of theAikido instructor. He was the only son and
strongest men of his time in Japan. Later onsuccessor of Morihiro Saito. He started his Aikido
sometime around 1919 he became a convert totraining quite young at age seven under his father
the teachings of the Omoto-Kyo religion andand Morihei Ueshiba. He features quite well in the
developed Aikido otherwise known as the Art ofTakemusu Aikido technical manual by Morihiro
Peace. In 1942 the art was renamed Aikido andSaito. He frequently travels to countries around
Ueshiba moved to the small town of Iwamathe world at the same time in order to deliver
where he taught Aikido until his death in 1969.seminars.
Kenki Tomiki 1900-1979 -Pat Hendricks Sensei 9/25/1955 -
Tomiki was one of the earlier students of the6th Dan Aikikai. In 1975, Pat Hendricks
Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. He was also acommenced her Aikido career in Monterey,
student of Jigoro Kano who was the one whoCalifornia. From the 1977, she has been travelling
founded the art of Judo. He joined Morihei Ueshibafrequently to Japan for extended periods of time
in 1925 and in the same year he hard his 5th danin order to study and learn as a live-in student
grading in Judo. In 1929 he represented the Miyagiunder the tutelage of the famed Saito Sensei in
Prefecture in their first judo tournament whichIwama. The dojo she currently has is called the
was held with the Emperor attending. From 1936Aikido of San Leandro and she gets some of the
to time of the Second World War he stayed inbest students from the entire world including
Manchuria where the taught Aikbudo which wasJapan. She also holds the highest possible degree
an early form Aikido to the Kanton army as wellin Aiki Ken and has a Jo Certification as well. She
as the Imperial Household Agency. In the yearis also certified to test Aikido experts for the
1938 he was an assistant professor at theUnited States.
Kenkoku University which was also in Manchukuo.Michael McVey Sensei 9/28/1956 -
He was also awarded first 8th dan in Aikido in4th Dan Aikikai. Michael McVey was supervised by
1942 and was awarded an 8th dan in judo at thePat Hendricks 6th dan. Michael is also a Licensed
same time. When he returned from three yearIndependent Chemical Dependency Counselor, a
sojourn in the Soviet Union, he taught people bothLicensed Professional Clinical Counselor and has
Judo and Aikido at the same time at the Wasedabeen a licensed Special and Elementary Education
University.Teacher. Michael has been teaching Aikido since
Morihiro Saito Sensei 3/31/1928 - 5/12/20021989 since he started in 1984. He completed one
9th Dan Aikikai. Being an Iwama native, Morihiroyear as an uchi deshi (apprentice instructor) for
Saito started training in Aikido in 1946 andHendricks Sensei in 1991.
became not only a student, but he was also aTetsuro Niriyama 11/21/1947 -
close confidant of O-Sensei for the following 23Tetsuro is a Japanese aikido teacher and he is the
year. When the founder's died he was put intechnical director of the Japan Aikido Association
charge of the Iwama dojo and became theand he was also chief instructor (Shihan) of the
guardian of the Aiki-shrine. Later on he wasShodokan Hombu Dojo in Osaka, in Japan. He was
known for his books, his clear and structured wayappointed to this position by the first Kenjo
of teaching, and the organization of the hugeTomiki one of the Morihei Ueshiba's first uchi-deshi.
number of techniques that became part of the