Morihiro Saito 9th Dan Aikido

Morihiro Saito one of Morihei Ueshiba longest standing students, staying in Iwama, the birthplace of Aikido.

You also have other top students of the founder Gozo Shioda, Kenji Tomiki, Koichi Tohei.

Morihiro Saito Shihan, an Aikikai 9th dan, and one of the highest ranking aikidoists in the world, began his Aikido education under Aikido's Founder, Morihei Ueshiba, in 1946. Morihiro Saito was a skinny lad of eighteen when he summoned up the courage to seek out the founder in the summer of 1946. Before his death Ueshiba gave Morihiro Saito the responsibility of carrying on the teaching at the Iwama dojo and also the position of caretaker of the Aiki Jinja located in Iwama.