After he studied various sword fighting and jujitsu styles intensively, Ueshiba became famous as one of the strongest men of Japan. In 1919, he turned towards more esoteric practices, and thus developed the "Art of Peace." In 1942, in the midst of the chaos of W.W.II, O-Sensei named his new martial art Aikido and moved to the small country town of Iwama. There he continued to practice, teach, and refine Aikido until he passed away in 1969.
9th Dan Aikikai
Morihiro Saito started training with O-Sensei in 1946 in his home village of Iwama, Japan. He was not only a student but became a close confidant over a 23-year period. After the founder's death, Saito Sensei was put in charge of the Iwama dojo, and became guardian of the Aiki-shrine. Today, he is known also for his books, his clear and structured way of teaching, and the organization of the huge number of techniques that comprise Iwama-Ryu Aikido.
5th Dan Aikikai
Vince Salvatore was influenced at an early age by his uncle, who was a black belt in Aikido. In 1987, in search of the masters of the art, he moved to Japan. He was accepted as a live-in apprentice at the original Aikido School under Saito Sensei in Iwama. Studying intensively under Saito Sensei, he lived in Japan until July of 1999. Vince Sensei has experience teaching people from all over the world, and has been the Chief Instructor at "Aikido of Reno" since January, 2000.