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The Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU) is a not-for-profit Aikido organization founded by Mitsugi Saotome Shihan upon moving from Japan to the United States in 1975. It is a federation of about 110 Dojos throughout North America.
The ASU instructional syllabus includes open-hand training, defense versus weapons (tachi dori, jo dori, tanto dori), weapons kata (kumitachi), and defense against multiple attackers with and without weapons (randori). As established by Saotome Shihan, ASU strives to have "no style", and its members and instructors demonstrate a high level of individual expression in their technique and instruction. As reflected by Saotome Shihan's roles as senior instructor and Chief Weapons Instructor during his time at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, training in ASU emphasizes martial spirit and awareness, significant weapons work, improvisation and adaptability, natural movement and breathing, and a sensitivity to natural action, reaction, and biofeedback responses. These goals are exemplified in a quote by Saotome Shihan: "Aikido is not a factory. Every student is unique; every attacker is unique."