“The Religion of Aikido” By Nathan Ray

“The dojos around the world are like churches and the religion practiced is one of self-mastery and improvement through Aikido. “

What a title, right? Well, before you tune out what I am about to share, just take a moment to think of religion in simple terms. In this article, the term “religion” is a reflection of time and dedication, not in terms of specific dogma. If you take a step back and look at the parallels, I think you will agree. In this sense, there is a central focal point or person. In Aikido, the founder Morihei Ueshiba is the beginning, even though he learned from Sokaku Takeda and others. The founder is that deity or central figure, Kami, if you will. He is our ideal of the real Master that we aspire to be.

Those in the Iwama lineage next look to the example of Morihiro Saito. He was that special student of the founder who was the direct link to the founder, his tradition and legacy. I was not fortunate enough to have trained with Saito Sensei, however, I am blessed to have begun my journey with Saito Sensei’s vast legacy of books and videos. This is where my Iwama Journey began. Actually, it was the classic footage of O-Sensei – in “Budo” filmed at the Asahi News dojo in 1935 that inspired me to jump head long into the world of Iwama Aikido after more than 20 years of aikido on a different path.

We see the image of O-Sensei on dojo walls around the world, fulfilling the vision that Morihei’s spiritual teacher Onisaburo Deguchi had for him. Deguchi saw in the young Ueshiba the future, and shared his vision of martial arts (Aikido) that would touch the entire world. Deguchi’s vision came to pass and is alive and well today. It is the spirit of the founder that still fuels the Aikido world.

There is nothing like the dedication of the disciples of the founder and successively their students. For me, I am very blessed to connect to the spirit of Morihiro Saito through his direct disciples. I have had the pleasure to train with Hitohiro Saito, Aviv Goldsmith, Wolfgang Baumgartner, Patricia Hendricks, Hans Goto, Bernice Tom, Shigemi Inagaki, Daniel Toutain, and Paulo Corallini to name a few. The legacy passed through Morihiro Saito is in good hands around the world.

Practitioners everywhere are dedicated across all lineages. It all leads back to O-Sensei. They train devotedly in Aikido. This is similar to the devotion displayed by church goers. As in the church, there is pomp and ceremony that constitute the spiritual ties to the traditions of Aikido, both technical and spiritual. Each bow, each lighting of candles, each offering to the shomen altars around the globe, ties us all together with the spirit of Morihei Ueshiba. Our purpose and daily practice commit us to a higher ideal and expressions of humanity.

The dojos around the world are like churches, and the religion practiced is one of self-mastery and improvement through Aikido. This is not some blasphemous comparison, but rather a look into the mind of man and his ability to take an art like aikido and express it as way to promote good and righteousness in a world deeply in need of change. We are certainly members of a movement that is doing just that… changing the world!