Morihei Ueshiba
Ueshiba Sensei was a student of Daito-Ryu under Grandmaster Sokaku Takeda. Takeda's style of Daito-Ryu incorporated aspects of Japanese swordsmanship, jujitsu, sumo wrestling, and spear fighting. O'Sensei also became very actively involved in the Omoto-Kyu sect of the Shinto religion, under the guidance of Shinto priest Deguchi Onisaburo. Over the next eight years with Deguchi, Ueshiba practiced Shinto meditative and purification rites and mastered the concept of Koto-dama (word spirit). Deguchi encouraged Ueshiba's martial arts training and guided him to incorporate spiritual aspects of the Shinto religion and philosophies into his martial arts.

Aikido's spiritual beginnings are dated to around 1924 when Ueshiba began to stress that, "true budo is the way of great harmony, and great love for all living things", and that all movement is the working of ki-mind-body. Ueshiba's new style of martial arts gained great popularity in Japan. Even Master Kano Jigoro, founder of Kodokan Judo proclaimed O'Sensei's art the ideal Budo and in 1930 sent his best students to train with Ueshiba. In February, 1942 the name Aikido was officially given to Ueshiba's martial art. Since that time, Aikido has continued with Ueshiba's philosophy of the ki-mind-body working in harmony with all things. The art of Aikido has also enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity over the past few decades and has spread its message and philosophy to every corner of the globe.