Aged nine, Hikitsuchi he began kendo, and then later kenjutsu, jujutsu, bojutsu and karate. Hikitsuchi trained extensively in Jūkendō as a young man, and was skilled in both iaido and kendo. When he was 14, he metMorihei Ueshiba. At that time there was an age requirement for studying budo with Uesiba, but they made an exception for Hikitsuchi. Hikitsuchi recounts a midnight, lights-out training with Ueshiba, in which he cut off the tip of Ueshiba's bokken. The piece flew off, and he searched throughout the dojo for it. Eventually, Ueshiba pulled it out of the folds of his kimono, praising him highly for his skill. Months later, Ueshiba gave Hikitsuchi a scroll inscribed with "Bojutsu Masakatsu Agatsu". The scroll was extensively illustrated by a famous artist, and contained Ueshiba's written explanations of techniques. Meik Skoss, who has seen the scroll, wrote, "One of the phrases on the scroll is very interesting, 'each of these pictures is the seed for a hundred techniques; study them well.'" According to Clint George, one of Hikitsuchi’s former students who trained in Shingu for 15 years, "Shingu bojutsu" consisted of four levels:
Nikyo — a solo form that explored circular movement
Sankyo — a solo form that explored three-dimensional, spherical movement
Yonkyo — Jiyuwaza — free, un-choreographed movement
Michio Hikitsuchi received his 10th dan in 1969, three months before Ueshiba's death. Hikitsuchi taught as chief instructor of Kumano Juku Dojo in Shingu, Japan until his death in 2004. The dojo was founded by Ueshiba in 1953. Hikitsuchi traveled twice to the United States, and regularly to European countries, teaching at dojos that had been started by his students. American Aikido instructors who trained extensively under Hikitsuchi and the other senior instructors at Shingu include Mary Heiny, Linda Holiday, Jack Wada, Laurin Herr, Tom Read, John Smartt, and Daniel Caslin Hikitsuchi was described by other teachers in Shingu as an "Aiki computer" because of his ability to recite virtually verbatim the speeches Ueshiba had given. He also had extensive knowledge of Shinto Norito and the spiritual teachings of the Kojiki—areas of personal emphasis by his teacher, the founder of aikido. He passed this experiential knowledge of the Shinto Norito to Sensei Jack Wada, who demonstrates it regularly and passes it on to good students. Hikitsuchi's reverence for Ueshiba and his message was total.
