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Morihiro Saito Sensei - History in Brief - 1
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Morihiro Saito Sensei - History in Brief
Morihiro Saito Sensei was born on March 31, 1928 in a small
village near the Iwama dojo.
He began his Aikido training when he was eighteen years old.
He had practiced Kendo as well as Shito-ryu Karate and Judo.
Saito Sensei was accepted by O-Sensei Ueshiba as a student,
and this was the beginning of a very long and close
relationship. Due to his 24-hour on and 24-hour off working
shift with the Japanese National Railroad, Saito Sensei had
a lot of time for training at the Ueshiba dojo. Early
morning classes were devoted to prayer at the Aiki Shrine
followed by weapons practice. This was the period when the
founder was deeply engrossed in the study of Aiki-Ken and
Aiki-Jo and their relationship to empty-handed techniques.
Not only was Saito Sensei a diligent student, but he also
helped the founder in his daily life and took part in caring
for the rice fields and other farming tasks. The founder was
clearly impressed with the dedication shown by Saito Sensei.
O-Sensei gave Saito Sensei a plot of land on his property
and this is where Saito Sensei then built his house and
lived with his wife and children side by side with the
founder.
By the late 1950s, Saito Sensei had become one of the top
instructors in the Aikikai system. He taught at the Iwama
dojo when the founder was out travelling. Saito Sensei also
instructed on a weekly basis at the Hombu Dojo in the 1960s,
teaching Aiki-Ken and Aiki-Jo for the last fifteen minutes
of each Sunday morning class.
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