Iwama Style Aikido

Morihiro Saito was one of the few direct students of Aikido founder O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba. He considered it his duty to correctly transmit O'Sensei's traditional teachings as he was taught in Iwama. O'Sensei called the art he perfected in Iwama takemusu aikido, or "the inexhaustible font of aikido techniques".

Dennis Tatoian, founder of the Traditional Aikido of Sonoma dojo, studied for many years under Saito Sensei. The students of Traditional Aikido of Sonoma are fortunate to study and train the techniques and philosophy handed down via direct lineage from the founder of Aikido.

The Aiki Shrine in Iwama

 

Morihiro Saito
1928–2002

9th dan Shihan Aikikai. Started training 1946 with Morihei Ueshiba in Iwama, he trained there with O'Sensei until O'Sensei's death in 1969. Saito-Sensei was the author of 10 books on Aikido (Traditional Aikido 5 Vol. series; Takemusu Aikido 4 Vol. series). He was head of the Ibaragi Dojo in Iwama and the guardian of the Aiki Shrine until his death in May, 2002.