Morihei Ueshiba, the Black Dragon Society & Pre-War Japan — What Aikido's History Doesn't Tell You

Martial artist and researcher Christopher Li returns for his third appearance on Martial Praxis for what may be the most challenging conversation in the show's history — a careful, evidence-based look at Morihei Ueshiba's documented connections to Japan's pre-war ultranationalist movement. This is not a takedown of Aikido or its founder. It is an honest look at the historical record, presented out of respect for practitioners who deserve to know the full story. The goal is understanding, not judgment. In this episode: The Black Dragon Society, Mitsuru Toyama, and how Ueshiba's social world was deeply entwined with Japan's radical right-wing networks How Ueshiba's concept of "peace" was rooted in the imperial ideology of Banseiikei — the unbroken divine imperial line — and why that matters for how we read his post-war teachings The Mongolia expedition with Onisaburo Deguchi, the coup d'état plots, and the assassination of Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi The figures Chris Li describes as the people who "essentially radicalized Japan" — and their relationships to the Aikikai, before and after the war Kenji Tomita: the man who hid Ueshiba during the Omoto suppression — and later became the first chairman of the Aikikai Foundation Ryoichi Sasakawa — described as "the world's richest fascist" — and his role in funding the Aikikai and steering it toward Olympic affiliation How this history connects, through a largely unbroken thread, from pre-war Japan all the way into post-war Aikikai governance Why both Chris and Jamie believe this history, rather than undermining the art, could actually deepen and inform sincere practice Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction & why this topic matters 8:00 — "Peace" as imperial ideology: Banseiikei and Ueshiba's 1960 lecture defining Aikido 14:00 — The Mongolia expedition, Onisaburo Deguchi, and the paramilitary connection 25:00 — Ueshiba's role in a planned coup d'état and the assassination of a Prime Minister 31:00 — Kenji Tomita: from Omoto suppression protector to first Aikikai Foundation chairman 39:00 — Post-war continuity: Sasakawa, Kodama, and the Aikikai's ultranationalist ties 49:00 — What this means for practice today, and why the Aikikai should sever all political ties Christopher Li has spent decades researching the primary Japanese-language sources on Aikido history. His work is some of the most rigorous and fair-minded in the field. Much of what he discusses here is drawn from documents and photographs that have never been widely circulated in the English-speaking Aikido community. Christopher Li's work: https://www.aikidosangenkai.org/ If this episode raises questions for you, we encourage you to follow the sources rather than react to the summary. The history is complicated — and it's ours to reckon with honestly. Martial Praxis explores the history, philosophy, and practice of martial arts without flinching from the hard questions.