Aikido is a modern martial art teaching the coordination of mind and body. Founded by Morihei Ueshiba (O Sensei) in the 1920’s, it is a beautiful, non-violent art that effectively defended against the fighting styles known in Japan during his age. O Sensei trained generations of students to spread  “the Art of Peace” throughout the globe - it is with this mission that Shuji Maruyama Sensei was sent to the United States in 1968. Upon  arriving, he quickly found that traditional Aikido was not as effective against other fighting styles, compelling him to fundamentally rethink and refine existing techniques. Over the next 40 years, Shuji Maruyama Sensei developed what is now Kokikai Aikido, focused on effective self-defense technique and the realization of our full potential power in all the activities of daily life.  

More information at : http://www.kokikai.org/