Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) in 1950 when he first called his Budo “Aikido”, he had already been recognized as a master of several Martial Arts. This modern Martial Art, Aikido, was founded on the fighting arts, (Bujutsu), of the Samurai of ancient Japan.

The Rise and Fall of the Imperial System (4th-12th Century A.D.)

Japanese history is the embodiment of imperial history and that of the warrior houses. The Yamato clan established itself in a small province in central Japan during the 4th century. In the course of about the next three hundred years, the Yamato family gradually gained control over the numerous warring tribes and clans in the surrounding provinces.

It was by way of trade connections with Korea and China, (under the Han Dynasty), that Japan gained the political and cultural foundation upon which Japanese culture was built. However, as cultural contact with China was interrupted toward the end of the 9th century, Japanese civilization began to take on its own special characteristics and form. Great elegance and refinement marked life in the capital. While the court gave itself up to the pursuits of the arts and social pleasures, its authority over the martial clans in the provinces became increasingly uncertain. Effective control passed into the hands of two rival families, the Minamoto and Taira, both of whom traced their descent from previous emperors. The Minamoto finally prevailed, annihilating the Taira clan in 1185. This Minamoto victory marked the end of the Imperial Throne as the effective political power in Japan, and the beginning of seven centuries of feudal rule.