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The History of Aikido in Hawaii

Morihei Ueshiba arrives in Hawaii
Morihei Ueshiba arrives at Honolulu Airport, February 27, 1961,
accompanied by Koichi Tohei and Nobuyoshi Tamura

In February 1961, Osensei came to Hawaii. During his visit he said:

"I have come to Hawaii in order to build a "silver bridge." Until now, I have remained in Japan, building a "golden bridge" to unite Japan, but henceforward, I wish to build a bridge to bring the different countries of the world together through the harmony and love contained in aikido. I think that aiki, offspring of the martial arts, can unite the people of the world in harmony, in the true spirit of budo, enveloping the world in unchanging love."

The recording and preservation of the history of Aikido in a Hawaii is an important function of this site. The history of Aikido in Hawaii is preserved through the input of many people. We are actively seeking pictures, narratives, recordings, and information regarding the various dojo and instructors in Hawaii. If you have historic information or documents, or would be willing to author articles or interviews related to the history of Aikido in Hawaii please contact us.

Historic Items:

Historic items below courtesy of Jamie Yugawa (on site, except for video and blog):

Interviews and Articles / Hawaiian Aikido Personalities:

Other Martial Arts in Hawaii: