Olivier Eberhardt Sensei (4th dan)

Olivier Eberhardt is a professional instructor and stated certified in Iwama Aikido.

He started to practice Aikido in September 1991 at La Flèche (Sarthe).
In 1992, he meets Daniel Toutain at the Aikido Academy of Rennes and becomes his student.

In November 1994, he made his very first journey to Japan where he spent three months, as an inner student “ushi-deshi”, under Saito Morihiro’s direction (9th dan) in the Aikido’s creator original Dojo located at Iwama (Ibaraki-japan). On January 14th, 1995, he was delivered his first Dan by Saito Morihiro himself in the Aikido’s creator dojo.

Back in France, he became one of Daniel’s assistant and attended many national and international seminars organized throughout Europe.

He is now an ambassador of both Iwama Ryu International Academy and Iwama Shinshin Aiki Shurenkai, and head of the Dokan Dojo located in Rennes, France.

He also regularly goes back to Iwama to train as an uchi-deshi.

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Saito Hitohiro Soke

Saito Hitohiro (born on February 12th, 1957) is the son of Morihiro Saito. At the age of seven, he started to learn aikido from Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, who cared for him as a grandson. After Ueshiba died in 1969, he continued his practice with his father.

Saito Hitohiro became official instructor of the Iwama dojo in 1986.
Years before his father's death, Hitohiro took over the main work at the founders' dojo and Aiki Shrine (Aiki Jinja), thus relieving his aging father of the great amount of work required in running the dojo. The main teaching of the dojo was passed to Hitohiro's hands and remained so until 2004 when he separated from the Aikikai organization, and formed his own group called Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shurenkai (岩間神信合氣修練会).

He teaches now full time at his own Tanrenkan dojo and travels around the world instructing at seminars attended by hundreds of aikido students.

Tanrenkan Dojo (2007)

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Saito Morihiro Shihan

Saito Morihiro (斉藤 守弘, March 31, 1928–May 13, 2002) was a teacher of the Japanese martial art of Aikido, with many students around the world. Saito's practice of aikido spanned 56 years.

Having spent 24 years at the side of the founder, Saito Morihiro Sensei is the one who studied the longest under O Sensei's guidance, from the age of 18 when he first met Morihei Ueshiba, aikido's founder, until he passed away in 2002. 
Saito Sensei was also teaching every Sunday morning at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo of Tokyo, from 1960 to 1969.
Before his death, Morihei Ueshiba Morihei gave Morihiro Saito the responsibility of carrying on the teaching of his dojo at Iwama as well as the shrine dedicated to Aikido (Aiki Jinja).

He was the only true Aikido weapons specialist and his way of teaching the use of these weapons has become the benchmark for the whole world. Equally an incomparable expert with bare hand techniques, Saito Sensei emphasises the relationship between these two forms of training, respecting the true basis of Aikido created by O Sensei.

His son and successor Hitohiro Saito Sensei continues now to teach at Iwama.


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Morihei Ueshiba sensei (O Sensei), Founder of Aikido

Morihei Ueshiba (植芝 盛平, December 14, 1883 – April 26, 1969) was a famous Japanese martial artist and founder of Aikido. He is often referred to as Kaiso (開祖, founder), or Ō Sensei (Great Teacher).

Shinto

After working as an instructor for the japanese army, O Sensei founded the Kobukan Dojo in 1931 with a space of eighty tatami mats (the current Aikikai Foundation Aikido Hombu Dojo) at 102 Wakamatsucho Ushigomeku Tokyo.

In 1942, in pursuit of completing his long-cherished ideal philosophy of Bu-No- Ichinyo (the unity of martial arts and agriculture), he moved with his wife Hatsu to Iwama Machi, Ibaraki Prefecture. There he erected an Aiki Shrine in 1943. In 1945, he completed a Dojo with about 100m2 of land which became the birth place of Aikido.

Aikido includes the study of bare hands technics (taijutsu), as well as japanese sword (bokken), stick (jo) and knife (tanto).
Ō Sensei used to teach weapon technics (bukiwaza) every morning and bare hands technics during evening classes.

Taijutsu (in this picture, ikkyo)

He always insisted on the importance of studying weapons (bokken, jo, tanto) from the very beginning.

Bokken

Jo

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