Takeda Sokaku (武田惣角, 1859 – 1943), was a Japanese martial artist. Takeda traveled through Japan teaching martial arts and was recognized as the resuscitator of Daitō-Ryū Aikijūjutsu.

Ueshiba Morihei (植芝盛平, 1883 – 1969) was a Japanese martial artist. Ueshiba Morihei was a student of Takeda Sokaku. From Daito-Ryu-Aiki-Jujutu he developed a modern martial art that he finally called Aikido.

Nakamura Tempū (中村天風, 1876 – 1968) was a Japanese martial artist and founder of Japanese yoga. He founded his own art called Shinshin-Tōitsu-Dō (心身統一道, way to unify mind and body).

Tohei Koichi (藤平光一, 1920 – 2011) was a Japanese martial artist, 10th Dan of Aikidō and founder of his school of Aikidō, named Shin Shin Tōitsu Aikidō, often called Ki-Aikido. Tohei was a student of Nakamura Tempu and Ueshiba Morihei.

Yoshigasaki Kenjiro (吉ヶ崎健二郎, 1951 – 2021) was a Japanese martial artist, who came to Europe in the 1970s to represent the Ki No Kenkyukai of master Tohei. In 2002 he founded his own school, the "Ki No Kenkyukai International".

Gianni Gioconto (1954 - 2021) started Aikido when he was 15 years old. From 1979 he was a student of Yoshigasaki Sensei. In 2011 he founded his own association called Un.I.K.A. (Italian Union of Ki Aikido). He taught in many dojos in Italy and abroad.