Founder of Aikido

Morihei Ueshiba, O-Sensei, established Aikido as an art of peace to bring harmony to humankind.

Motomichi Anno Sensei

The teachings of Aikido have guided the life of Motomichi Anno Sensei.

Following the Path

People around the globe have been touched by Anno Sensei's teachings and peaceful practice.

MOTOMICHI ANNO is one of the highest-level teachers of Aikido in the world today. An eighth-degree black belt since 1978, he is one of the few remaining Japanese master-teachers who received direct instruction from the founder of Aikido.  Anno Sensei’s simple wisdom, humility, and heart have inspired thousands of students and teachers in Japan and abroad.

Anno Sensei was born in 1931 in the Kumano region of Japan, where many traditions and spiritual practices of Japan have been kept alive. He suffered poverty and hardship as a child in wartime, but emerged after the

war determined to do something positive with his life. When he was twenty-three years old, Anno Sensei became a student of the founder of Aikido and began a lifelong devotion to Aikido as a practice of peace and the cultivation of the heart. 

For over four decades, Anno Sensei served as a senior instructor at the historic Kumano Juku Dojo in Shingu, Japan. He also founded his own school, Matsubara Dojo, in Kumano City, in 1969. In 2004, he succeeded the late Michio Hikitsuchi Sensei to serve for nine years... read more >

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Kazuaki Tanahashi

Author of Brush Mind; co-translator of Aikido by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, under the direction of Morihei Ueshiba

"The sublime life and teachings of Morihei Ueshiba are authentically presented in Journey to the Heart of Aikido through the lifelong training of Motomichi Anno as well as Linda Holiday's amazing dedication and research. As one who studied with the Master in his tiny nightly class right after World War II, I am overjoyed that the essence of what I witnessed and learned in Japan's countryside sixty-five years ago is now available to the public in the Western world."

Wendy Palmer

Aikido 6th dan; author of The Practice of Freedom: Aikido Principles as a Spiritual Guide

"This book is a gift for all who wish to develop greater spiritual understanding of Aikido, its universal application, our potential to embody the principles, and the amazing abilities of its founder."

Stanley Pranin

Editor of Aikido Journal

"A monumental work... entertaining, insightful, at times humorous, but always compelling. Over the years, Linda Holiday has become intimately acquainted with the culture of Japan to a level few foreigners attain. I wholeheartedly recommend Linda Holiday's book to every Aikido practitioner and martial arts aficionado. It will not fail to inform and inspire, and is surely destined to become a classic."

Christian Tissier

Aikido 7th dan, shihan; Paris, France

"Through his teachings, Anno Sensei guides us with a benevolent smile and the deepest humility to the 'heart of aikido.' His reflections on all aspects of practice are very rich and will surely answer all the questions we may ask. Journey to the Heart of Aikido is also a beautiful testimonial to fidelity: that of student to teacher, and teacher to O-Sensei."

John Stevens

Aikido 7th dan; author of Invincible Warrior, a biography of Morihei Ueshiba

"Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba, established Aikido as a way of harmony, an art of peace, a path of light. Motomichi Anno, one of the last remaining direct disciples of the founder, and his student Linda Holiday have devoted their lives to preserving Morihei’s legacy. Journey to the Heart of Aikido presents Anno Sensei's simple, yet profound teachings, together with an inspiring account of his life and his experiences with the founder. This is a rich, valuable book, lovingly put together in the true spirit of Aikido."

Brant Secunda

Shaman and healer in the Huichol tradition; author of Fit Soul, Fit Body – 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You

"The teachings of Aikido are truly universal, and thus this book is for everyone. Anno Sensei's lifelong journey along the path of love and harmony is an inspiration to us all. I praise Linda Holiday for her dedication in bringing this treasure to the world, as I know it will help guide countless readers on their path to personal and global peace."

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Join the Journey

Journey to the Heart of Aikido presents the teachings of Motomichi Anno Sensei, one of the few remaining direct students of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Author and translator Linda Holiday—herself a senior instructor of Aikido—brings to life the intimacy of this communication through translated discourses on the deep practice of Aikido and candid dialogues between Anno sensei and Western students. With simple authenticity and eloquence, Anno Sensei conveys Aikido's essential spirit of harmony, gratitude, purification, and love.  

Journey to the Heart of Aikido offers spiritual teachings relevant to all contemporary seekers, touching a wide range of themes such as the meaning of martial arts, the integration of body and spirit, the truth of interconnectedness, and the practice of peace, offering all readers insight into the profound spiritual questions at the heart of life.

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"This is a rich, valuable book, lovingly put together in the true spirit of Aikido.”

— JOHN STEVENS, Aikido 7th dan; author of Invincible Warrior, a biography of Morihei Ueshiba