About Nihon Goshin Aikido

Master Shodo Morita

Shodo Morita founded the art of Nihon Goshin Aikido in the 1940s. He taught at his dojo in Chitose, a town east of Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Master Morita was likely born around 1900, making him a contemporary of many well-known martial artists of that era.

During his training years, he may have encountered figures such as Sokaku Takeda, Yoshida Kotaro, Morihei Ueshiba, and Jigoro Kano. No formal training relationship with any of them has been confirmed. Beyond the Aiki arts, Master Morita also trained in judo, ju-jitsu, kobudo, karate, and the esoteric arts.

After mastering these disciplines, Master Morita recognized a gap. Each art addressed only one aspect of self-defense. Karate focused on striking. Judo focused on throwing. Jujitsu focused on joint locks. He combined principles from each system into something new — Nihon Goshin Aikido.

Importantly, he did not simply pick the “best” techniques. He selected a wide variety, understanding that what works for one person may not work for another due to differences in height and body type. This variety is what makes Nihon Goshin Aikido such an effective self-defense system.

Shihan Richard Bowe

Richard Bowe discovered Nihon Goshin Aikido while stationed on Hokkaido during his military career. He had already explored karate and Ueshiba-style Aikido, but neither system fully satisfied what he was looking for. His search led him to Shodo Morita.

Master Morita’s students impressed Bowe immediately with their throwing ability. He trained with both Shodo Morita, who awarded him a black belt, and with Morita’s adopted son, Tominosuke Nara, who took over the system after Master Morita passed away.

Bowe returned to the United States and began teaching Nihon Goshin Aikido in 1962. On September 12, 1963, he opened his own dojo in Guttenberg, New Jersey. Master Nara promoted him to 5th degree black belt in 1976, shortly before Nara retired from public teaching.

Today, Nihon Goshin Aikido no longer appears to be taught in Japan. Black belts from Bowe’s dojo and their students now teach across numerous dojos throughout the United States. In 2018, Bowe passed the art to Sensei Robert B. MacEwen Jr.

Shihan Robert B. MacEwen, Jr.

Robert B. MacEwen, Jr. holds a fifth degree black belt in Nihon Goshin Aikido and serves as the art’s international director. He also holds a fifth degree black belt in Jujitsu and a first degree black belt in both Koga-Ryu Ninjutsu and Karate, with over 45 years of martial arts experience.

Shihan MacEwen trained directly under Shihan Richard A. Bowe and the late John Lehman. Martial arts publications and organizations worldwide have recognized his explosive teaching style. His dedication to the art has earned him four inductions into the National Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Beyond the dojo, Shihan MacEwen worked in the motion picture industry as an actor and choreographer. He produced fourteen martial arts DVDs that sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide, earning four-star ratings. On November 1, 2018, Shihan Bowe passed the art to Shihan MacEwen.