Yoseikan is a comprehensive martial art. It encompasses elements of many of the more readily recognized martial arts. The strongest and most direct relationship of Yoseikan is with aikido. Yoseikan is often thought of as an outgrowth of aikido because Yoseikan’s founder , Master Minoru Mochizuki, was a senior desciple of Morehei Uyeshiba, the founder of Aikikai Aikido. Yoseikan shares peer status as a subsequent variant of aikido with other styles such as Yoshinkai, Tomiki-Ryu, and others. At the technical level, Yoseikan focuses strongly on the principles of the older Aikido as taught by Master Uyeshiba before World War II. It also borrows heavily from the advanced techniques of Judo, particularly the sutemi (or sacrifice) techniques. To a lesser degree (as practiced currently in the US) techniques of karate and kobudo (the way of fighting with weapons) are also practiced as part of an integrated system.