Kisshomaru Ueshiba
| Kisshomaru Ueshiba 植芝 吉祥丸 Ueshiba Kisshomaru |
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| Born | June 27, 1921 Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | January 4, 1999 (aged 77) Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Style | Aikido |
| Teacher(s) | Morihei Ueshiba |
| Children | Moriteru Ueshiba |
Kisshomaru Ueshiba (植芝 吉祥丸 Ueshiba Kisshōmaru, June 27, 1921 – January 4, 1999) was a prominent Japanese master of aikido.[1] He was the son of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikido, and became the international leader of aikido after his father's death.[1][2]
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Early life [edit]
Ueshiba was born on June 27, 1921, in the city of Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.[1][2][3] He was the third son and fourth child of Morihei Ueshiba and Hatsu Ueshiba (née Itokawa).[4][5] Ueshiba began training under his father around 1937.[1]
Aikido career [edit]
In 1942, while he was still studying at Waseda University, Morihei Ueshiba (who was retiring to Iwama) appointed him the head of the Kobukan Dojo in Shinjuku, Tokyo.[1] He saved the dojo from fire bombing several times during the World War II.[1] Ueshiba graduated with a degree in economics in 1946.[1]
Speaking about the period just after World War II, Moriteru Ueshiba said, "there was not yet much activity at the Hombu Dojo. For a time my father [Kisshomaru Ueshiba] was actually in Iwama instead ... starting around 1949, he worked for about seven years at a company called Osaka Shoji. He had no other choice. Even if you have a dojo, you can't make a living if nobody is coming to train, which was largely the case after the war. So, he took a job as an ordinary company employee during the day and taught only in the mornings and evenings."[6]
Beginning in 1948, Ueshiba oversaw the development of the Aikikai Honbu organization (and eventually the tearing down of the Kobukan Dojo in 1967 to construct the Aikikai headquarters).
Later life [edit]
After Morihei Ueshiba's death in 1969, Kisshomaru Ueshiba took on the mantle of Doshu (hereditary head).[1][2][3][7] In 1995, Ueshiba received the Zui Hosho Medal from the Japanese government.[3] By 1998, Ueshiba's health had declined and this necessitated visits to hospital.[2]
Ueshiba died around 5:30 PM on January 4, 1999, in a Tokyo hospital.[1][2] The cause of death was respiratory failure.[8] As his father was the first Doshu, he was the second Doshu, and after his death, his son Moriteru Ueshiba became the third Doshu, following the iemoto system.
Publications [edit]
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba, A Life in Aikido: The Biography of Founder Morihei Ueshiba (2008), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-2617-0 [1]
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba, The Art of Aikido: Principles and Essential Techniques (2004) Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-2945-4 [2]
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Best Aikido: The Fundamentals (2002) Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-2762-7 [3]
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba, The Spirit of Aikido (1987), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-0-87011-850-0 [4]
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Aikido (1985), Japan Publications Trading, ISBN 978-0-87040-629-4
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Pranin, S. A. (c. 2009): Encyclopedia of Aikido: Ueshiba, Kisshomaru Retrieved on March 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Goldsbury, P. (1999): Obituary: Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba Retrieved on March 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c Aikikai Foundation: Doshu chronology Retrieved on February 28, 2010.
- ^ Dang, P. T., & Seiser, L. (2006): Advanced Aikido (p. 3). Tokyo: Tuttle. (ISBN 978-0-8048-3785-9)
- ^ Pranin, S. A. (1993): Morihei Ueshiba & Kisshomaru Ueshiba Retrieved on March 11, 2010.
- ^ Pranin, S. A. (1999): Interview with Moriteru Ueshiba Retrieved on February 28, 2010.
- ^ Dang, P. T., & Seiser, L. (2003): Aikido basics (p. 22). Boston, MA: Tuttle. (ISBN 978-0-8048-3490-2)
- ^ Obituary - Doshu Kisshomaru Written by Peter Goldsbury, 1 February 1999
| Preceded by Morihei Ueshiba |
Dōshu of Aikikai April 26, 1969 – January 4, 1999 |
Succeeded by Moriteru Ueshiba |
| Preceded by Koichi Tohei (de facto) |
de jure Dōjōchō of Aikikai Hombu Dōjō 1969-1989 |
Succeeded by Kisaburo Osawa (de facto) |
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