Aikido styles

Though the art of aikido is characteristically different from other martial arts, there are a variety of identifiable styles within the family of organisations descending from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba.

Pre-war aikido

In the pre-war period, aikido was still in formation and had not yet established itself as a separate art from that of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. However, it was fast attaining an identity of its own. In 1942, the Dai Nihon Butokukai, in its efforts to standardize Japanese martial arts, came to an agreement with representatives of Ueshiba's school that the name aikido would be used to refer to the jujitsu derived art form Ueshiba had brought to prominence.

Post-war aikido (first 40 years)

In the post war period, the Aikikai Foundation led by the Ueshiba family has become the most successful organisation in terms of growth in numbers and prominence in the public eye. However it was not the first to bring aikido to prominence in Japan in the immediate post war period.

Immediately after the war, due to the ban on martial arts imposed by occupying US forces, aikido was not being taught in Tokyo. A number of students including Koichi Tohei and Gozo Shioda took it upon themselves to become active in disseminating aikido. Some years later, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the Founder's son began to actively revive the Aikikai Headquarters in Tokyo.

From the post-war period until the 1980s, numerous aikido organisations evolved in parallel to the main branch led by the Ueshiba family.

The earliest independent styles to emerge were

• Yoshinkan aikido founded by Gozo Shioda in 1955,
• Yoseikan aikido, begun by Minoru Mochizuki in 1931, and
• Shodokan aikido, founded by Kenji Tomiki in 1967.
• Manseikan aikido (万生館合氣道), founded in 1954 by Kanshu Sunadomari (砂泊扶 カン秀 Sunadomari Kanshū, born 1923), is an independent style centred in Kyūshū, Japan.
• Shin'ei Taidō (親英体道) is a style closely related to aikido, founded in 1956 by Noriaki Inoue (井上 鑑昭 Inoue Noriaki, 1902–1994), a nephew and pre-war student of Morihei Ueshiba.

The emergence of these styles pre-dated Ueshiba's death and did not cause any major upheavals when they were formalized, with the exception of Shodokan aikido, which caused some controversy as it introduced a unique rule-based competition that some felt was contrary to the spirit of aikido.

After Ueshiba's death, more senior students branched out on their own to establishing independent schools.

• Iwama Ryu - This style evolved from Ueshiba's retirement in Iwama, Japan, and the teaching methodology of long term student Morihiro Saito. It is unofficially referred to as the "Iwama style". Although Iwama style top representatives (Paolo Corallini, Saito Sensei's pupil, and Ulf Evenas, the only two Iwama Ryu 7th Dan in the world) remained part of the Aikikai until Saito's death in 2002, followers of Saito subsequently split into two groups; one remaining with the Aikikai and the other forming the independent organization Shinshin Aikishuren Kai (神信合気修練会) in 2004 around Saito's son Hitohiro Saito (斎藤 仁弘 Saitō Hitohiro, born 1957).
• Ki Society - Another event that caused significant controversy was the departure of the Aikikai Honbu Dojo's chief instructor Koichi Tohei, in 1974. Tohei left as a result of a disagreement with the son of the founder, Kisshomaru Ueshiba (植芝 吉祥丸 Ueshiba Kisshōmaru, 1921–1999), who at that time headed the Aikikai Foundation. The disagreement was over the proper role of ki development in regular aikido training. After Tohei left, he formed his own style, called Shin Shin Toitsu aikido, and the organization which governs it, the Ki Society.
• Aikido Association of America- founded by Fumio Toyoda, [1].
• Seidokan Aikido - founded by Roderick T. Kobayashi in 1979, tends to utilize movements which are very small and economical.

• Suenaka-ha Tetsugaku-ho Wadokai aikido, founded by Roy Y. Suenaka in 1975.

• The Kokusai Aikidō Kenshūkai Kobayashi Hirokazu Ha, or Kobayashi aikido , was founded by Hirokazu Kobayashi.
• Tendoryu aikido (天道流合気道 Tendō-ryū Aikidō); founded by Kenji Shimizu (清水 健二 Shimizu Kenji, born 1940) in 1982. Founded the "Shimizu Dojo" in 1969, renamed it the Tendokan (天道館 Tendōkan) in 1975.

Aikido of the modern period (1980 - present)

Today, the Aikikai is an umbrella organization, home to numerous senior teachers and sub-organisations with their own teaching methods and technical characteristics. Leadership of the group has remained centered on the Ueshiba family, and is currently headed by the founder's grandson, Moriteru Ueshiba (植芝 守央 Ueshiba Moriteru, born 1951).

The current generation of senior teachers continue to branch out on their own, with the senior students of the senior students of the Founder (grand-students) coming to prominence in their own right.

• Iwama Ryu Italy (actually under the name of Takemusu Aikido Association Italy): based in Italy, directed by the Iwama Ryu top shihan, Dr. Paolo Corallini, Saito Morihiro's pupil in the last 18 years of his life. This group, founded in 1984, it's the oldest Iwama Ryu national group in the world. It's actually working in accordance also with Aikikai Tokyo, though it's not an Aikikai organization.
• Asociación Cultural Aikikai de España//Cultural Association Aikikai of Spain, founded by Shihan Yasunari Kitaura, 8º Dan Aikido, official representative of Aikikai (in the Aikikai list of official instructors abroad is under the name "Yasufusa Kitaura") in Spain.
• Kokikai Aikido International; founded in 1986 by Shuji Maruyama (Maruyama Shuji, born 1940).
• Fugakukai International Association, founded in 1982, has roots in the Shodokan style, but without the competition element.
• Yoshokai; founded in 1991 by Takashi Kushida (串田 誉司 Kushida Takashi, born 1935), a senior instructor of Yoshinkan aikido.
• Aikido Yuishinkai International ; founded in 1996 by Koretoshi Maruyama (born 1936).
• Keijutsukai Aikido (警術会合気道). The Keijutsukai (Police/Security Techniques Association) was officially established in February 1980, in Tokyo. Founded by Thomas H. Makiyama born in 1928.
• Aikido Renshinkai (合気道警術会). The Aikido Renshinkai was officially established in April 2008, in Tokyo. Founded by a top uchideshi of the late founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, Gozo Shioda-Sensei, Tsutomu Chida born in 1950.
• Tendoryu Aikido, founded in 1993 by Kenji Shimizu and is characterized by its large and clear movements, emphasizing naturalness and harmonic flow of motion.

Unrelated arts using the term "aikido"

The above styles can trace their lineage through senior students back to the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. Two other prominent martial arts use the name aikido but are not directly related. They are Korindo aikido founded by Minoru Hirai (平井 稔 Hirai Minoru, 1903–1998) and Nihon Goshin aikido (日本護身合気道 Nihon Goshin Aikidō) founded by Shodo Morita (Morita Shodo, fl. c.1930s–1962). These schools, with some historical justification, suggest that the name aikido is not the exclusive domain of arts derived from the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba.