A Brief History of Daitoryu Aiki Jujutsu
It is believed that the traditional Japanese martial art Daitoryu originated within the family of Emperor Seiwa who reigned from 858 to 876 AD.
The most efficient methods of striking, holds, strangles, chokes, breaks, pins, joint locks, and throws are used to neutralize an enemy, as well as a good understanding of nerve and pressure point techniques. Traditional weapons are also a major part of the vast syllabus, providing the student with discipline and a traditional understanding of the arts origins and culture.
In the eleventh century, a descendent named Shinra Saburo Minamoto no Yoshimitsu advanced the art through the study of human anatomy. He dissected the bodies of war dead and executed criminals to develop effective strikes, holds and joint locks which he incorporated into his family's martial art.
His eldest son, Yoshikiyo, moved to the village of Takeda in Koma and there the Daitoryu tradition was handed down within the Takeda family for generations.
Near the end of the 16th century, Kunitsugu Takeda moved the family's main base to the Aizu district. There the art of Daitoryu was secretly taught to the Samurai until the fall of the Shogunate in 1868.
It was Sokaku Takeda, in the 19th century, who began teaching Daitoryu to the public. He was born in 1860 and learned Daitoryu from his relatives and from the last minister of the Aizu region - Tanomo Sigo. Sokaku Takeda had also studied other martial arts and he incorporated his knowledge of these plus his practical experience into the Daitoryu which he taught to select groups of military officers, police officials and aristocrats. Although he had many students (some estimates are as high as 30, 000), he issued approximately 20 formal teaching licenses.
Sokaku Takeda was the 35th Grand Master of the Daitoryu tradition that had stemmed from Kunitsugu Takeda. His son, Tokimune Takeda, succeeded him as headmaster.
Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu is the most well-known, historically traceable form of Aiki Jujutsu.
Source: The Hidden Roots of Aikido: Aiki Jujutsu Daitoryu, by Shiro Omiya (Kodansh America Inc., New York, 1998)
