Aikido ─ My Spiritual Journey

In this first full autobiographical work, the legendary aikido grandmaster Gozo Shioda tells of his exciting life. Born in Tokyo in 1915, Shioda excelled as a student of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido. He went on to win first place in the All Japan Martial Arts Exhibition in 1954; and later, founded the Yoshinkan school of aikido, considered a "hard" style for its rigorous training techniques and emphasis on correct form. In 1988, Shioda was awarded the title of Aikido Master by the International Martial Arts Federation. Over the course of his distinguisehd career, he also served as the chief instructor for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the Air Self-defense Force, the Japanese National Railways, and a number of leading Japanese universities.

In Aikido: My Spiritual Journey, Shioda relates moving, personal anecdotes about Ueshiba and imparts what he learned from his mentor. He offers a concise overview of the key elements of aikido, including breath power, focused power, and the power of the center line. About 20 rare photos of the author, chronicling his life in aikido, are also included. Yasuhisa Shioda, the author's son and himself a prominent figure in the aikido world, has contributed the Afterword to this volume.

Gozo Shioda was born in Tokyo in 1915 and died in 1994.

Yasuhisa Shioda trained under his father, Gozo Shioda, and continues to promote aikido to university students, police departments, and business groups. He taught in the U.K. for three years and helped to develop aikido there. In 2007, he became a grandmaster and the President of the Yoshinkan Aikido.