Hitohiro Saito

Hitohiro Saito (斎藤 仁弘 Saitō Hitohiro, born 12 February 1957 in Iwama) is an aikido instructor and founding headmaster of Iwama Shin-Shin Aiki Shuren-kai. Hitohiro is the son of Morihiro Saito. At age of seven, he started to learn aikido from Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, who cared for him as a grandson. After Ueshiba died in 1969, he continued his practice with his father. The younger Saito became official instructor of the Iwama dojo in 1986 and remained so until 2004 when he separated from the Aikikai organization and formed his own group. Since 2009 he is also identified as Hitohira (仁平) Saito.