- Kisshomaru Ueshiba
,
June 27 1921 –January 4 1999 ) was the son of the founder of theJapanese martial art ofaikido , and became the international leader of aikido after his father's death.Kisshomaru Ueshiba was born in the city of
Ayabe ,Kyoto prefecture ,Japan ; the third child ofMorihei Ueshiba (植芝 盛平 "Ueshiba Morihei", 1883–1969) and Hatsu Ueshiba (植芝 はつ "Ueshiba Hatsu", 1881–1969).Kisshomaru trained with his father beginning around 1937. He later attended
Waseda University and graduated with a degree ineconomics in 1946. Prior to graduation, however, his father appointed him the head of the Kobukan Dojo inShinjuku ,Tokyo in 1942. Kisshomaru would go on to save the dojo from fire bombing several times during theSecond World War .After the war, and beginning in 1948, Kisshomaru oversaw the development of the Aikikai Honbu organization (and eventually the tearing down of the Kobukan Dojo in 1967 to construct the Aikikai headquarters).
After Morihei Ueshiba's death in 1969, Kisshomaru took on the mantle of "dōshu", which roughly translates as "keeper of the way". As his father is the first "dōshu", he is the second, and after his death in 1999, his son
Moriteru Ueshiba (植芝 守央 "Ueshiba Moriteru", born 1951) became the third. Kisshomaru Ueshiba is often given credit for being the primary force behind the spread and popularization of aikido throughout the world.Publications
* Kisshomaru Ueshiba, "A Life in Aikido: The Biography of Founder Morihei Ueshiba"(2008), Kodansha International, ISBN-13: 978-4-7700-2617-0 [http://www.kodansha-intl.com/books/html/en/9784770026170.html]
* Kisshomaru Ueshiba, "The Art of Aikido: Principles and Essential Techniques" (2004) Kodansha International, ISBN-13: 978-4-7700-2945-4 [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kisshomaru_Ueshiba&action=edit]
* Kisshomaru Ueshiba, "Best Aikido: The Fundamentals" (2002) Kodansha International, ISBN-13: 978-4-7700-2762-7 [http://www.kodansha-intl.com/books/html/en/9784770027627.html]
* Kisshomaru Ueshiba, "The Spirit of Aikido"(1987), Kodansha International, ISBN-13: 978-0-87011-850-0 [http://www.kodansha-intl.com/books/html/en/9780870118500.html]
* Kisshomaru Ueshiba, "Aikido" (1985), Japan Publications Trading, ISBN-13: 978-0-87040-629-4
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