Koichi Tohei Ki Aikido Guide... Watch Trailer!

Who is Koichi Tohei?

Koichi Tohei (1921-2011) was one of the most important figures of postwar aikido. His contributions as chief instructor of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo have left an indelible stamp on modern aikido. Technically speaking, Tohei and Morihei Ueshiba's son Kisshomaru Ueshiba are mostly responsible for the Aikikai curriculum that we know today.

Due to an acrimonious dispute that led to Koichi Tohei's resignation from the Hombu Dojo in 1974, neither the Aikikai nor the Ki Society founded by Tohei have chosen to remember this important era in the history of the art. As more than 40 years have elapsed since these events have occurred, practitioners who train today are unlikely to know much about the history of aikido or the roots of the techniques they practice today.

Aikido Journal will soon publish a detailed guide to the principles and techniques of Ki Aikido contributed by Koichi Tohei Sensei during his Aikikai years as chief instructor in an effort to educate and preserve this important legacy that has long been neglected.