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Sokaku Takeda (October 10, 1859
- April 25, 1943) was known as the founder of a school of
jujutsu known as Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu.
Born in the Aizu domain (modern-day Fukushima Prefecture),
Sokaku grew up in a time of war and civil strife and was able
to witness both first hand while still a young boy. The son
of Takeda Sokichi, a man of samurai class who worked his farm
and taught at a local school in a Buddhist temple, it is believed
that Sokaku received his first martial arts training from
his father who had a dojo on their property. Sokichi was apparently
expert in the use of both sword and spear, and had once been
a sumo wrestler of some rank (see ozeki). It is believed that
Sokaku was exposed to the teachings of Hozoin-ryu Takada-ha
and Ono-ha Itto-ryu, schools of spear and swordsmanship respectively.
Sokaku then left to go on a period of austere training where
he travelled, fought and trained at the schools of many teachers,
a not uncommon practise of the time. Reputedly, Sokaku spent
some time as a live-in student of Kenkichi Sakakibara, headmaster
of the Jikishinkage Ryu and considered to be one of the most
famous and skilled swordsmen of the era. Unfortunately there
exist no known historical documents to confirm this relationship
and so it is a matter debate. What is known, however, |
