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123-636: Born Yamamoto Jiro into a samurai class family in Kagoshima , Satsuma domain (present-day Kagoshima prefecture ), he was adopted into the Takeshita family as a boy. Takeshita entered the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1892, and he graduated third in a class of eighty students. He entered naval service as a midshipman in 1889; his first ship was the armored corvette Kongo . In 1898, he attended

246-457: A dojo in Germany. The last major group consists of students of Yukiyoshi Sagawa (佐川 幸義, Sagawa Yukiyoshi , 1902–1998), who was once considered to be the successor to Takeda Sokaku (should Tokimune not have survived World War II). Sagawa ran only a single dojo and taught a relatively small number of students. He began studying Daitō-ryū under Takeda Sokaku in 1914 after first learning

369-553: A 'samurai'". In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai . The definition of "samurai" varies from period to period. From the Heian period to the Edo period , bushi were people who fought with weapons for a living. In the Heian period, on the other hand, the definition of samurai referred to officials who served the emperor, the imperial family, and the nobles of

492-613: A demonstration of Ueshiba's art at the first Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai (Society for the Promotion of Japanese Classical Martial Arts) demonstration. Later that same year, Takeshita gave public demonstrations of aikido in Seattle , Washington and Washington, D.C; this was the introduction of aikido to the United States. In 1940, Takeshita was instrumental in providing a legal identity to Ueshiba's Kobukan organization by founding

615-572: A family name, and as samuraihon or saburaibon ( 侍品 ) , they acquired a status equivalent to that of a samurai. In other words, a high-ranking person among the bushi was called a samurai. During the Muromachi period , as in the Kamakura period, the definition of samurai referred to high-ranking bushi in the service of the shogun. Bushi serving shugo daimyo ( 守護大名 , feudal lords) were not considered samurai. Those who did not serve

738-563: A former mathematics professor at the University of Tsukuba and a senior student of Sagawa, ran a small aiki-jūjutsu study group at that institution. He retired from his professorship there in June 2013, and has retired from public instruction of Daito Ryu. He now privately instructs a small group of students. He has written two books about his training under Sagawa: Transparent Power and Discovering Aiki . Takeda Sokaku defined aiki in

861-616: A long term student of Hisa, Kenkichi Ohgami ( Ōgami Kenkichi , born 1936). Later, in order to implement greater changes to the curriculum, Okabayashi himself chose to separate from the Takumakai and formed the Hakuho-ryu. The Horikawa branch descends from the teachings of Kōdō Horikawa. A few organizations have been formed based on his teachings. The Kodokai ( 幸道会 , Kōdōkai ) was founded by students of Horikawa, whose distinctive interpretation of aiki movements can be seen in

984-422: A military government. The Kamakura period (1185–1333) saw the rise of the samurai under shogun rule as they were "entrusted with the security of the estates" and were symbols of the ideal warrior and citizen. Originally, the emperor and non-warrior nobility employed these warrior nobles. In time they amassed enough manpower, resources and political backing, in the form of alliances with one another, to establish

1107-555: A month and was regarded as the rightful successor of Nobunaga by avenging the treachery of Mitsuhide. These two were able to use Nobunaga's previous achievements on which build a unified Japan and there was a saying: "The reunification is a rice cake; Oda made it. Hashiba shaped it. In the end, only Ieyasu tastes it." (Hashiba is the family name that Toyotomi Hideyoshi used while he was a follower of Nobunaga.) Daito-ryu Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu ( 大東流 合気柔術 ) , originally called Daitō-ryū Jujutsu ( 大東流柔術 , Daitō-ryū Jūjutsu ) ,

1230-559: A particular lord, such as the rōnin ( 浪人 ) , who were vagabonds, the nobushi ( 野武士 ) , who were armed peasants, and the ashigaru ( 足軽 ) , who were temporarily hired foot soldiers, were not considered samurai. During the Sengoku period , the traditional master-servant relationship in Japanese society collapsed, and the traditional definition of samurai changed dramatically. Samurai no longer referred to those serving

1353-481: A result, yari , yumi (bow), and tanegashima became the primary weapons on the battlefield. The naginata , which was difficult to maneuver in close formation, and the long, heavy tachi fell into disuse and were replaced by the nagamaki , which could be held short, and the short, light katana , which appeared in the Nanboku-cho period and gradually became more common. The tachi

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1476-415: A retired admiral and former Prime Minister of Japan . This recommendation caused Yamamoto to invite Ueshiba to Tokyo to provide demonstrations to the Japanese military and political elite. Ueshiba's stay was however interrupted by sickness and he had to return to his hometown of Tanabe . In February 1927, Takeshita invited Ueshiba to Tokyo again, and this time, Ueshiba settled there. Takeshita's influence

1599-650: A strong defensive point against the Mongols. The Mongols attempted to settle matters in a diplomatic way from 1275 to 1279, but every envoy sent to Japan was executed. Leading up to the second Mongolian invasion, Kublai Khan continued to send emissaries to Japan, with five diplomats sent in September 1275 to Kyūshū. Hōjō Tokimune , the shikken of the Kamakura shogun, responded by having the Mongolian diplomats brought to Kamakura and then beheading them. The graves of

1722-874: A time, before being introduced to Tokimune. On the basis of the high level teaching licenses Kondo was granted by Tokimune, his followers represent his school as the Daitō-ryū "mainline". Kondo has done much to increase the visibility of the art by hosting seminars both in Tokyo and abroad, especially in Europe and the United States. In the last years many Branches were created all over the world. The biggest groups are located in Italy (under Alex Muracchini and Luca Canovi), Russia (under Evgeny Bodrenko and Stanislav Kopin), Netherlands (Robert Breedveld, Niels van Willigen, Anton Brandregt, and Ilse van der Hoeven), Slovakia (under Stephan Kurilla). In

1845-590: A well-known figure who rose from a peasant background to become a samurai, sengoku daimyo , and kampaku (Imperial Regent). From this time on, infantrymen called ashigaru , who were mobilized from the peasantry, were mobilized in even greater numbers than before, and the importance of the infantry, which had begun in the Nanboku-chō period, increased even more. When matchlocks were introduced from Portugal in 1543, Japanese swordsmiths immediately began to improve and mass-produce them. The Japanese matchlock

1968-409: Is katsujinken . When an opponent strikes at you and your sword pierces his stomach it is setsuninken . These two concepts are the essence of the sword. Daitō-ryū techniques involve both jujutsu and aiki-jūjutsu applications. Techniques are broken up into specific lists which are trained sequentially; that is, a student will not progress to the next "catalogue" of techniques until he/she has mastered

2091-459: Is a Japanese martial art that first became widely known in the early 20th century under the headmastership of Takeda Sōkaku . Takeda had extensive training in several martial arts (including Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū and Sumo ) and referred to the style he taught as "Daitō-ryū" (literally, "Great Eastern School"). Although the school's traditions claim to extend back centuries in Japanese history there are no known extant records regarding

2214-613: Is also believed that Yoshimitsu dissected the corpses of men killed in battle, studying their anatomy for the purpose of learning techniques for joint-locking and atemi-waza (nerve striking). Daitō-ryū takes its name from the mansion that Yoshimitsu lived in as a child, called "Daitō" ( 大東 ) , in Ōmi Province (modern day Shiga Prefecture ). Yoshimitsu eventually settled down in Kai Province (modern day Yamanashi Prefecture ), and passed on what he learned within his family. Ultimately, Yoshimitsu's great-grandson Nobuyoshi adopted

2337-529: Is an old one, and was common to other classical Japanese schools of armed combat. There are some other styles of Japanese jujutsu that use the term aiki-jūjutsu , but there are no records of its use prior to the Meiji era. Many modern schools influenced by aikido presently utilize the term to describe their use of aikido-like techniques with a more combative mindset. There are a number of martial arts in addition to aikido which appear, or claim, to be descended from

2460-420: Is called katsujinken (life-giving sword). Its opposite is called setsuninken (death-dealing sword). Aiki is different from the victory of sen sen , and is applied in situations of go no sen , such as when an opponent thrusts at you. Therein lies the essence of katsujinken and setsuninken . You block the attack when an opponent approaches; at his second attack you break his sword and spare his life. This

2583-460: Is said to comprise thousands of techniques, divided into omote and ura (literally, 'front' and 'back' versions), but many of these could be seen as variations upon the core techniques. In addition, Sokaku and Tokimune awarded scrolls denoting certain portions of the curriculum, such as techniques utilizing the long and short sword. To the list above, the Takumakai adds the "Daito-ryu Aiki Nito-ryu Hiden". The Takumakai also makes substantial use of

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2706-444: Is to push to the limit, while aiki never resists. The term aiki has been used since ancient times and is not unique to Daito-ryu. The ki in aiki is go no sen , meaning to respond to an attack. ... Daito-ryu is all go no sen — you first evade your opponent's attack and then strike or control him. Likewise, Ittō-ryū is primarily go no sen . You attack because an opponent attacks you. This implies not cutting your opponent. This

2829-624: The Ashikaga Shogunate with Emperor Kōgon . As a result, the southern court, descended from Emperor Godaigo, and the northern court, descended from Emperor Kogon, were established side by side. This period of coexistence of the two dynasties is called the Nanboku-chō period , which corresponds to the beginning of the Muromachi period . The Northern Court, supported by the Ashikaga Shogunate, had six emperors, and in 1392

2952-617: The Bokuyōkan ( 牧羊館 ) . In the early 1970s, while Yonezawa was still a senior teacher at the Kodokai, he was the first person to bring Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu to the United States and Canada. The Bokuyōkan is currently run by his son Hiromitsu Yonezawa ( Yonezawa Hiromitsu ), headquartered in Hokkaidō, with a following at the Yonezawa dojo and several branches in the United States, as well as

3075-598: The Heiji rebellion and became the first samurai-born aristocratic class, eventually becoming Daijō-daijin , the highest position of the aristocratic class, and the Taira clan monopolized important positions at the Imperial Court and wielded power. The victor, Taira no Kiyomori, became an imperial advisor and was the first warrior to attain such a position. He eventually seized control of the central government, establishing

3198-478: The Hitachi province , fled to Masakado. He was wanted for tyranny by Fujiwara no Korechika , an Kokushi ( 国司 , imperial court official) who oversaw the province of Hitachi, and Fujiwara no Korechika demanded that Masakado hand over Fujiwara no Haruaki. Masakado refused, and war broke out between Masakado and Fujiwara no Korechika, with Masakado becoming an enemy of the imperial court. Masakado proclaimed that

3321-633: The Kure Naval District . He was placed on the retired list in November 1929. During late summer 1935, Takeshita made his fifth trip to the United States. His mission was to try to explain to American audiences that Japan's invasion of China in the Second Sino-Japanese War , was to stop the spread of Communism . As for Japan's relationship with the United States, Takeshita stated that "No Japanese warship has ever crossed

3444-556: The Minamoto and Taira . Taira no Masakado , who rose to prominence in the early 10th century, was the first of the local warrior class to revolt against the imperial court. He had served Fujiwara no Tadahira as a young man, but eventually won a power struggle within the Taira clan and became a powerful figure in the Kanto region . In 939, Fujiwara no Haruaki , a powerful figure in

3567-874: The Paris Peace Conference of 1919, and the League of Nations . In these positions, he played a leading role in Japan's obtaining former German holdings in the Central and Western Pacific. For these efforts, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class). Takeshita returned to Japan to accept a posting as commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet on 1 December 1922, a position he held until January 1924. His subsequent billets included Commander of

3690-564: The Russo-Japanese War . During 1904, he also helped Roosevelt obtain the services of judo teacher Yamashita Yoshitsugu , first for Roosevelt himself and then for the United States Naval Academy . Takeshita's commands included the cruisers Suma , Kasuga , Izumo , Tsukuba and the battleship Shikishima . Takeshita was a member of the Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States in 1917,

3813-594: The Sōden , features techniques taught to them by both masters. The Takumakai represents the second largest aiki-jūjutsu organization. The current director is Mori Hakaru assisted by honorary director is Chiba Tsugutaka, and the manager is Kobayashi Kiyohiro. Chiba Tsugutaka, who proposed the idea of naming the organization "Takumakai", also spent some time training at the Daito-kan in Hokkaido under Takeda Tokimune. In

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3936-596: The Taihō Code of 702, and the later Yōrō Code , the population was required to report regularly for the census, a precursor for national conscription. With an understanding of how the population was distributed, Emperor Monmu introduced a law whereby 1 in 3–4 adult males were drafted into the state military. These soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, and in return were exempted from duties and taxes. The Taihō Code classified most Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks, each divided into two sub-ranks, 1st rank being

4059-469: The ryū before Takeda. Whether Takeda is regarded as either the restorer or the founder of the art, the known history of Daitō-ryū begins with him. Takeda's best-known student was Morihei Ueshiba , the founder of Aikido . Daitō-ryū (also known as simply Aiki-jūjutsu) is mostly considered to be a fighting style created by the Seiwa Minamoto clan, and handed down from generation to generation. It

4182-562: The 14th century. Invasions of neighboring samurai territories became common to avoid infighting, and bickering among samurai was a constant problem for the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates. The outbreak of the Onin War , which began in 1467 and lasted about 10 years, devastated Kyoto and brought down the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate. This plunged the country into the warring states period , in which daimyo (feudal lords) from different regions fought each other. This period corresponds to

4305-479: The 1980s, led by Shogen Okabayashi ( Okabayashi Shogen , born 1949-2018), who was sent by the elderly Hisa to train under the headmaster, the Takumakai made a move to implement the forms for teaching the fundamentals of the art as originally established by Tokimune Takeda. This move upset some preservers of Hisa's original teaching method, leading to the formation of a new organization called the Daibukan, founded by

4428-555: The Edo period, the shogun. A vassal or samurai could expect monetary benefits, including land or money, from lords in exchange for their military services. The Azuchi-Momoyama period refers to the period when Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were in power. The name "Azuchi-Momoyama" comes from the fact that Nobunaga's castle, Azuchi Castle , was located in Azuchi, Shiga , and Fushimi Castle , where Hideyoshi lived after his retirement,

4551-589: The Imperial Court was reunited by absorbing the Southern Court, although the modern Imperial Household Agency considers the Southern Court to be the legitimate emperor. The de facto rule of Japan by the Ashikaga Shogunate lasted until the Onin War , which broke out in 1467. From 1346 to 1358 during the Nanboku-cho period, the Ashikaga shogunate gradually expanded the authority of the Shugo ( 守護 ) ,

4674-652: The Imperial family, the Kuge and Temples and Shrines received grants of tax-free land. In the 9th Century, the farmers began to give their land over to the nobility in order to avoid taxes. They would then administer and work the land for a payment of rice. This also reduced the wealth of the Emperor, as he had no private land and was dependent on tax income. Many of the farmers armed themselves and formed warrior groups called rōdō. These warriors then followed powerful families like

4797-663: The Japanese Naval War College , which had been founded that same year. Because he was fluent in English , Takeshita was posted overseas at various times as a naval attaché . In October 1902, he was appointed Japan's naval attaché to the United States . In this role, Takeshita was an active participant in negotiations mediated by President Theodore Roosevelt that led to the Treaty of Portsmouth , ending

4920-560: The Kanto region under his rule was independent of the Imperial Court and called himself the Shinnō ( 新皇 , New Emperor) . In response, the imperial court sent a large army led by Taira no Sadamori to kill Masakado. As a result, Masakado was killed in battle in February 940. He is still revered as one of the three great onryō ( 怨霊 , vengeful spirits) of Japan. The Heian period saw

5043-533: The Kobayashi branch. The Tokimune branch descends from the teachings of Tokimune Takeda, the son of Takeda Sokaku, and designated successor of Daitō-ryū upon the father's death. When Tokimune died, he had not appointed a successor; there are two main groups that carry on his teachings. The first group is led by Katsuyuki Kondō , who began his training under Tsunejiro Hosono and continued training under Kōtarō Yoshida (吉田 幸太郎 Yoshida Kōtarō , 1883–1966) for

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5166-601: The Kobukai Foundation and becoming its first president. Also, in 1941, Takeshita used his influence to arrange a demonstration of aikido by Ueshiba at the Imperial Palace . The demonstration took place in front of the Imperial family . Although ill, Ueshiba gave a spectacular exhibition, which greatly impressed the nobility. Samurai Samurai ( 侍 ) or bushi (武士, [bɯ.ɕi]) were members of

5289-812: The Minamoto defeated the Taira in 1185 , Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura shogunate , a parallel government that did not surplant the imperial court. The warriors who served the Shogunate were called gokenin, landholding warriors whose retainers were called samurai. Gokenin were regulated by the Samurai-dokoro . During the Sengoku Period , the term was vague and some samurai owned land, others were retainers or mercenaries. Many served as retainers to lords (including daimyo ). There

5412-465: The Mongol invaders despite being vastly outnumbered. These winds became known as kami-no-Kaze , which literally translates as "wind of the gods". This is often given a simplified translation as "divine wind". The kami-no-Kaze lent credence to the Japanese belief that their lands were indeed divine and under supernatural protection. In 1336, Ashikaga Takauji , who opposed Emperor Godaigo , established

5535-520: The Muromachi period and a rank below kachi ( 徒士 ) and above ashigaru in the Edo period. In the early Edo period , even some daimyō ( 大名 , feudal lords) with territories of 10,000 koku or more called themselves samurai. At the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate , there was no clear distinction between hatamoto ( 旗本 ) and gokenin , which referred to direct vassals of

5658-436: The Nanboku-chō period to the Muromachi period, large groups of infantrymen became more active in battle, close combat became more important, and the naginata and tachi , which had been used since the Heian period, were used more. The yari (spear) was not yet a major weapon in this period. During the Nanboku-chō period, many lower-class foot soldiers called ashigaru began to participate in battles, and

5781-572: The Onin War; in other words, it marked the end of the Muromachi period. Oda Nobunaga was the well-known lord of the Nagoya area (once called Owari Province ) and an exceptional example of a samurai of the Sengoku period. He came within a few years of, and laid down the path for his successors to follow, the reunification of Japan under a new bakufu (shogunate). Oda Nobunaga made innovations in

5904-595: The Pacific except on a mission of peace," he said during a radio broadcast in San Francisco . "No Japanese soldier has ever come to these shores except on a similar mission." In February 1937, Takeshita was appointed head of the Japanese Boy Scouts , Sea Scouts , and YMCA . This was part of the general militarization of Japanese sports and athletics taking place at that time. Later that year, he

6027-624: The Tokimune branch is headed by Shigemitsu Kato and Gunpachi Arisawa, who are long-time students and teachers from Tokimune's original Daitokan headquarters in Hokkaidō . This organization is called the Nihon Daito Ryu Aikibudo Daito Kai ( 日本大東流合気武道大東会 , Nihon Daitō-ryū Aikibudō Daitō Kai ) . They maintain a smaller organization in Hokkaidō, with strong connections to practitioners in Europe (especially Italy),

6150-869: The USA there are also several Branch dōjōs such as Derek Steel in Philadelphia, Mark Sumi in Los Angeles and Jose Garrido in the New York City Metro area. In the United Kingdom there is a study group in Suffolk (under Oran Redmond). Australia study group is led by Rachael Crompton in Sidney. Switzerland’s study groups are led by Pascal Badan (Lausanne) and Selahattin Ak (Zürich). The second group from

6273-457: The United States, and Brazil. The second major branch of Daitō-ryū is represented by students of Takuma Hisa. His students banded together and founded the Takumakai ( 琢磨会 ) . They have a wealth of materials in the form of film and still photographs, taken at the Asahi Newspaper dōjō , recording the Daitō-ryū techniques taught to them, first by Morihei Ueshiba and then later by Takeda Sokaku directly. One of their major training manuals, called

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6396-403: The abdomen. In the late Kamakura period, a new type of armor called haramaki appeared, in which the two ends of the haraate were extended to the back to provide greater protection. Various samurai clans struggled for power during the Kamakura shogunate . Zen Buddhism spread among the samurai in the 13th century and helped shape their standards of conduct, particularly in overcoming

6519-422: The appearance of distinctive Japanese armor and weapons. Typical examples are the tachi (long sword) and naginata (halberd) used in close combat, and the ō-yoroi and dō-maru styles of armor. High-ranking samurai equipped with yumi (bows) who fought on horseback wore ō-yoroi , while lower-ranking samurai equipped with naginata who fought on foot wore dō-maru . During

6642-452: The area of Takeshita Street in Shibuya, Tokyo . The Takeshita place name dates from the Edo era. Takeshita first heard of Morihei Ueshiba through his colleague at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, Admiral Seikyo Asano , who was studying Daito-ryu aiki jujutsu (the forerunner of aikido ) under Ueshiba at Ayabe . In 1925, Takeshita went to Ayabe to see Ueshiba and was so impressed that he recommended Ueshiba to Yamamoto Gonnohyoe ,

6765-436: The art from his father, Sagawa Nenokichi (1867–1950), who was also a student of Sokaku and a holder of a Kyōju Dairi (teaching license) in the system. Although considered by many to be one of the most accomplished students of Sokaku, Yukiyoshi Sagawa received the kyoju dairi in 1932—but did not receive the menkyo kaiden (certificate of mastery) of the system's secrets, as during the time he practised under Takeda Sokaku,

6888-443: The art of Daitō-ryū or the teachings of Takeda Sōkaku. Among them are: the Korean martial art of hapkido founded by Choi Yong-sool , who claims to have been trained under Takeda Sokaku; Choi gave two versions of his story, one in 1962 and another completely different one in 1982. Hakkō-ryū founded by Okuyama Yoshiharu, who trained under Takeda Sokaku; and Shorinji Kempo , founded by Nakano Michiomi (later known as So Doshin), who

7011-407: The art that he founded, aikido. Aikido is practised internationally and has hundreds of thousands of adherents. Many of those interested in aikido have traced the art's origins back to Daitō-ryū, which has increased the level of interest in an art which was otherwise virtually unknown a few decades before. Aikido's influence was significant even in its early years, prior to World War II, when Ueshiba

7134-431: The average conscript soldier. The Meiji Restoration formally abolished the status, and most former samurai became Shizoku . This allowed them to move into professional and entrepreneurial roles. In Japanese, historical warriors are usually referred to as bushi ( 武士 , [bɯ.ɕi] ) , meaning 'warrior', or buke ( 武家 ) , meaning 'military family'. According to translator William Scott Wilson : "In Chinese,

7257-411: The bravery of their armies. These changes in the aspect of the battlefield during the Sengoku period led to the emergence of the tosei-gusoku style of armor, which improved the productivity and durability of armor. In the history of Japanese armor, this was the most significant change since the introduction of the ō-yoroi and dō-mal in the Heian period. In this style, the number of parts

7380-413: The category of buke hōkōnin ( 武家奉公人 , servants of the buke ) . In times of war, samurai ( wakatō ) and ashigaru were fighters, while the rest were porters. Generally, samurai ( wakatō ) could take family names, while some ashigaru could, and only samurai ( wakatō ) were considered samurai class. Wakatō , like samurai, had different definitions in different periods, meaning a young bushi in

7503-399: The character 侍 was originally a verb meaning 'to wait upon', 'accompany persons' in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau . In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean 'those who serve in close attendance to the nobility', the Japanese term saburai being the nominal form of the verb." According to Wilson, an early reference to

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7626-404: The combined aikijujutsu (hard/soft). Modern aikido originated in aikijujutsu, which emphasizes "an early neutralization of an attack". Like other forms of jujutsu, it emphasizes throwing techniques and joint manipulations to effectively subdue or injure an attacker. Of particular importance is the timing of a defensive technique either to blend or to neutralize an attack's effectiveness and to use

7749-402: The definition of samurai became synonymous with gokenin ( 御家人 ) , which refers to bushi who owned territory and served the shogun . However, some samurai of exceptional status, hi-gokenin ( 非御家人 ) , did not serve the shogun. Subordinate bushi in the service of the samurai were called rōtō, rōdō ( 郎党 ) or rōjū ( 郎従 ) . Some of the rōtō were given a territory and

7872-451: The emperor's entourage, and became the first of the Minamoto clan to assume the office of Sei-i Taishōgun (shogun) . In response, Minamoto no Yoritomo sent Minamoto no Noriyori and Minamoto no Yoshitsune to defeat Yoshinaka, who was killed within a year of becoming shogun. In 1185, the Taira clan was finally defeated in the Battle of Dan-no-ura , and the Minamoto clan came to power. The victorious Minamoto no Yoritomo established

7995-416: The emperor, who tried to control their actions. He died in 1582 when one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide , turned upon him with his army. Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu , who founded the Tokugawa shogunate, were loyal followers of Nobunaga. Hideyoshi began as a peasant and became one of Nobunaga's top generals, and Ieyasu had shared his childhood with Nobunaga. Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide within

8118-446: The fear of death and killing. Among the general populace Pure Land Buddhism was favored however. In 1274, the Mongol-founded Yuan dynasty in China sent a force of some 40,000 men and 900 ships to invade Japan in northern Kyūshū . Japan mustered a mere 10,000 samurai to meet this threat. The invading army was harassed by major thunderstorms throughout the invasion, which aided the defenders by inflicting heavy casualties. The Yuan army

8241-425: The fields of organization and war tactics, made heavy use of arquebuses, developed commerce and industry, and treasured innovation. Consecutive victories enabled him to end the Ashikaga Bakufu and disarm of the military powers of the Buddhist monks, which had inflamed futile struggles among the populace for centuries. Attacking from the "sanctuary" of Buddhist temples, they were constant headaches to any warlord and even

8364-401: The first samurai-dominated government and relegating the emperor to figurehead status. The clan had its women marry emperors and exercise control through the emperor. However, when Taira no Kiyomori used his power to have the child of his daughter Taira no Tokuko and Emperor Takakura installed as Emperor Antoku , there was widespread opposition. Prince Mochihito , no longer able to assume

8487-427: The first samurai-dominated government. As the power of these regional clans grew, their chief was typically a distant relative of the emperor and a lesser member of either the Fujiwara , Minamoto , or Taira clan. From the Kamakura period onwards, emphasis was put on training samurai from childhood in using "the bow and sword". In the late Kamakura period, even the most senior samurai began to wear dō-maru , as

8610-431: The five executed Mongol emissaries exist to this day in Kamakura at Tatsunokuchi. On 29 July 1279, five more emissaries were sent by the Mongol empire, and again beheaded, this time in Hakata . This continued defiance of the Mongol emperor set the stage for one of the most famous engagements in Japanese history. In 1281, a Yuan army of 140,000 men with 5,000 ships was mustered for another invasion of Japan. Northern Kyūshū

8733-434: The following way: "The secret of aiki is to overpower the opponent mentally at a glance and to win without fighting." Tokimune Takeda, speaking on the same subject during an interview explained in more detail about the concept of aiki : Aiki is to pull when you are pushed, and to push when you are pulled. It is the spirit of slowness and speed, of harmonizing your movement with your opponent's ki . Its opposite, kiai ,

8856-459: The force of the attacker's movement against him. Daitō-ryū is characterized by ample use of atemi , or the striking of vital areas, to set up jointlocking or throwing tactics. Some of the art's striking methods employ the swinging of the outstretched arms to create power and to hit with the fists at deceptive angles, as may be observed in techniques such as the atemi that sets up gyaku ude-dori (reverse elbow lock). Tokimune Takeda regarded one of

8979-399: The heavy and elegant ō-yoroi were no longer respected. Until then, the body was the only part of the dō-maru that was protected, but for higher-ranking samurai, the dō-maru also came with a kabuto (helmet) and shoulder guards. For lower-ranked samurai, the haraate was introduced, the simplest style of armor that protected only the front of the torso and the sides of

9102-413: The highest adviser to the emperor. Those of 6th rank and below were referred to as "samurai" and dealt with day-to-day affairs and were initially civilian public servants, in keeping with the original derivation of this word from saburau , a verb meaning 'to serve'. In 780, general conscription was abolished, and the government relied solely on units of capable warriors called kondei recruited from

9225-558: The highest licence was not the menkyo kaiden . Sagawa often served as a teaching assistant to Takeda and traveled with him to various locations in Japan teaching Daito-ryu. He further developed the art of applying Aiki and is said to have remained powerful until very late in life, and – as a consequence of the success of Transparent Power  – was featured in a series of articles in the Aiki News magazines prior to his death in 1998. Tatsuo Kimura (木村 達雄 Kimura Tatsuo , born 1947),

9348-468: The imperial court, the upper echelons of society. They were responsible for assisting the nobles in their daily duties, guarding the nobles, guarding the court, arresting bandits, and suppressing civil wars, much like secretaries, butlers, and police officers today. Samurai in this period referred to the Fifth ( go-i ) and Sixth Ranks ( roku-i ) of the court ranks . During the Kamakura period ,

9471-466: The imperial throne, called upon the Minamoto clan to raise an army to defeat the Taira clan, and the Genpei War began. Minamoto no Yoshinaka expelled the Taira clan from Kyoto, and although he was initially welcomed by the hermit Emperor Go-Shirakawa, he became estranged and isolated due to the disorderly military discipline and lack of political power under his command. He staged a coup, overthrew

9594-413: The late Kamakura period allowed them to produce Japanese swords with tougher blades than before, and during the Nanboku-chō period, ōdachi (large/great sword) were at their peak as weapons for the samurai. Until the Mongol invasion in the late Kamakura period, the main battle was fought by small groups of warriors using yumi (bows) from horseback, and close combat was a secondary battle. From

9717-619: The late Muromachi period. There are about nine theories about the end of the Sengoku Period, the earliest being the year 1568, when Oda Nobunaga marched on Kyoto, and the latest being the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1638. Thus, the Sengoku Period overlaps with the Muromachi, Azuchi–Momoyama , and Edo periods , depending on the theory. In any case, the Sengoku period was a time of large-scale civil wars throughout Japan. Daimyo who became more powerful as

9840-588: The local military and police officials established by the Kamakura shogunate, giving the Shugo jurisdiction over land disputes between gokenin ( 御家人 ) and allowing the Shugo to receive half of all taxes from the areas they controlled. The Shugo shared their newfound wealth with the local samurai, creating a hierarchical relationship between the Shugo and the samurai, and the first early daimyo ( 大名 , feudal lords) , called shugo daimyo ( 守護大名 ) , appeared. The innovations of Sōshū swordsmiths in

9963-414: The lowest-ranking bushi , as exemplified by the provisions of the temporary law Separation Edict enacted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1591. This law regulated the transfer of status classes:samurai ( wakatō ), chūgen ( 中間 ) , komono ( 小者 ) , and arashiko ( 荒子 ) . These four classes and the ashigaru were chōnin ( 町人 , townspeople) and peasants employed by the bushi and fell under

10086-409: The more direct jujutsu joint manipulation techniques. The second group of techniques, the aiki-no-jutsu , tends to emphasize the utilization of one's opponent's movement or intention in order to subdue him/her—usually with a throwing or a pinning technique. A list of the catalogues in the Tokimune branch's system and the number of techniques contained within follows: Officially, the Daitō-ryū system

10209-426: The movements of his students. The Kodokai is located in Hokkaidō and is headed by Yusuke Inoue ( Inoue Yasuke , born 1932). Both Inoue's father and his main teacher, Horikawa, were direct students of Takeda Sokaku. Inoue received his teaching license ( Menkyo Kaiden ) in accordance with Horikawa's final wishes. There are two major teachers who branched off from the Kodokai to establish their own traditions. The first

10332-482: The palace. These arts became incorporated into and combined with the Takeda family martial arts. According to the traditions of Daitō-ryū, it was these arts which Takeda Sokaku began teaching to non-members of the family in the late 19th century. Takeda had also studied swordsmanship and spearmanship with his father, Takeda Sokichi, as well as Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū as an uchi-deshi (live-in student) under

10455-481: The photographic documents of techniques taught at the Asahi Newspaper dojo by Morihei Ueshiba and Takeda Sokaku, which are compiled into a series of 11 training manuals called the Sōden . The significant interest in this martial art, which has much in common with the many less popular classical Japanese jujutsu schools, is probably due largely to the success of Takeda Sokaku's student Morihei Ueshiba, and

10578-412: The popularity of haramaki increased. During the Nanboku-chō and Muromachi periods, dō-maru and haramaki became the norm, and senior samurai also began to wear haramaki by adding kabuto (helmet), men-yoroi (face armor), and gauntlet. Issues of inheritance caused family strife as primogeniture became common, in contrast to the division of succession designated by law before

10701-440: The previous one. Upon completion of each catalogue, a student is awarded a certificate or scroll that lists all of the techniques of that level. These act as levels of advancement within the school, and was a common system among classical Japanese martial arts schools before the era of belts, grades, and degrees. The first category of techniques in the system, the shoden waza , is not devoid of aiki elements, though it emphasizes

10824-657: The progenitor of the Tokimune branch; Takuma Hisa (久 琢磨 Hisa Takuma , 1895–1980), of the Hisa branch; Kōdō Horikawa (堀川 幸道 Horikawa Kōdō , 1894–1980), of the Horikawa branch; Toshimi ‘Hosaku’ Matsuda (1895 - ?) kyoju-dairi 教授代理 of the Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Shobukai ;Yukiyoshi Sagawa ( Sagawa Yukiyoshi , 1902–1998), of the Sagawa branch, and Somekichi Kobayashi (1901–1999), of

10947-415: The rank of sengoku daimyo during this period. Uesugi Kenshin was an example of a Shugodai who became sengoku daimyo by weakening and eliminating the power of the lord. This period was marked by the loosening of samurai culture, with people born into other social strata sometimes making a name for themselves as warriors and thus becoming de facto samurai. One such example is Toyotomi Hideyoshi ,

11070-599: The reigns of Emperor Shirakawa and Emperor Toba , the Taira clan became Kokushi ( 国司 ) , or overseers of various regions, and accumulated wealth by taking samurai from various regions as their retainers. In the struggle for the succession of Emperor Toba, Emperor Sutoku and Emperor Go-Shirakawa , each with his samurai class on his side, fought the Hōgen rebellion , which was won by Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who had Taira no Kiyomori and Minamoto no Yoshitomo on his side. Later, Taira no Kiyomori defeated Minamoto no Yoshitomo in

11193-432: The renowned swordsman Sakakibara Kenkichi. During his life, Sokaku traveled extensively to attain his goal of preserving his family's traditions by spreading Daitō-ryū throughout Japan. Takeda Sokaku's third son, Tokimune Takeda (武田 時宗 Takeda Tokimune , 1916–1993), became the headmaster of the art following Sokaku's death in 1943. Tokimune taught what he called "Daitō-ryū Aikibudō" ( 大東流合気武道 ) , an art that included

11316-461: The samurai class became the political ruling power in Japan. In 1190 he visited Kyoto and in 1192 became Sei'i Taishōgun , establishing the Kamakura shogunate, or Kamakura bakufu . Instead of ruling from Kyoto, he set up the shogunate in Kamakura , near his base of power. "Bakufu" means "tent government", taken from the encampments the soldiers lived in, in accordance with the Bakufu's status as

11439-418: The samurai class by being adopted into gokenin families or by serving in daikan offices, and low-ranking samurai could be transferred to lower social classes, such as chōnin , by changing jobs. In the 1870s, samurai families comprised 5% of the population. As modern militaries emerged in the 19th century, the samurai were rendered increasingly obsolete and very expensive to maintain compared to

11562-440: The shogun and the daimyo of each domains, and as the distinction between bushi and chōnin or peasants became stricter, the boundaries between the definitions of samurai and bushi became blurred. Since then, the term "samurai" has been used to refer to " bushi ". Officially, however, the high-ranking bushi were called samurai and the low-ranking bushi were called kachi ( 徒士 ) . Samurai and kachi were represented by

11685-485: The shogun or daimyo . According to Stephen Morillo, during this period the term refers to "a retainer of a lord - usually ... the retainer of a daimyo" and that the term samurai "marks social function and not class", and "all sorts of soldiers, including pikemen, bowmen, musketeers and horsemen were samurai". During the Azuchi–Momoyama period (late Sengoku period), "samurai" often referred to wakatō ( 若党 ) ,

11808-449: The shogun or emperor, and anyone who distinguished themselves in war could become samurai regardless of their social status. Jizamurai ( 地侍 ) came from the powerful myōshu ( 名主 ) , who owned farmland and held leadership positions in their villages, and became vassals of sengoku daimyō ( 戦国大名 ) . Their status was half farmer, half bushi (samurai). On the other hand, it also referred to local bushi who did not serve

11931-503: The shogun, but from the second half of the 17th century a distinction was made between hatamoto , direct vassals with territories of 10,000 koku or less who were entitled to an audience with the shogun, and gokenin , those without such rights. Samurai referred to hatamoto in the Tokugawa shogunate and to chūkoshō ( 中小姓 ) or higher status bushi in each han ( 藩 , domains) . During this period, most bushi came to serve

12054-403: The shogunate's control weakened were called sengoku daimyo ( 戦国大名 ) , and they often came from shugo daimyo , Shugodai ( 守護代 , deputy Shugo) , and kokujin or kunibito ( 国人 , local masters) . In other words, sengoku daimyo differed from shugo daimyo in that a sengoku daimyo was able to rule the region on his own, without being appointed by the shogun. During this period,

12177-471: The sons of wealthy peasants and provincial officials. Another principle of the Ritsuryō system had already begun to be abandoned. All the land belonged to the state, and had been distributed on a per capita basis to farmers. However, in 743, farmers were allowed to cultivate reclaimed land in perpetuity. This allowed clan leaders, especially those with lots of slaves, to acquire large amounts of land. Members of

12300-495: The status of kachi , were financially impoverished and supported themselves by making bamboo handicrafts and umbrellas and selling plants. The shibun status of samurai and kachi was clearly distinguished from the keihai ( 軽輩 ) status of the ashigaru and chūgen who served them, but it was more difficult to rise from kachi to samurai than from ashigaru to kachi , and the status gap between samurai, who were high-ranking bushi , and kachi , who were low-ranking bushi ,

12423-474: The study of the Takeda family's martial arts, and was subsequently adopted by Hoshina Masamitsu. Komatsumaru changed his name to Hoshina Masayuki (保科 正之), and in 1644 was appointed the governor of Aizu. As governor, he mandated that all subsequent rulers of Aizu study the arts of Ono-ha Ittō-ryū (which he himself had mastered), as well as the art of oshikiuchi , a martial art which he developed for shogunal counselors and retainers, tailored to conditions within

12546-439: The superiority of the samurai over the aristocracy. In 1185, Yoritomo obtained the right to appoint shugo and jitō , and was allowed to organize soldiers and police, and to collect a certain amount of tax. Initially, their responsibility was restricted to arresting rebels and collecting needed army provisions and they were forbidden from interfering with kokushi officials, but their responsibility gradually expanded. Thus,

12669-542: The surname "Takeda", which has been the name of the family to the present day. The Takeda family remained in Kai Province until the time of Takeda Shingen (武田 信玄, 1521–1573). Shingen opposed Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga in their campaign to unify and control all of Japan. With the death of Shingen and his heir, Takeda Katsuyori (武田 勝頼, 1546–1582), the Takeda family relocated to the Aizu domain (an area comprising

12792-629: The sword techniques of the Ono-ha Ittō-ryū along with the traditional techniques of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. It was also under Tokimune's headmastership that modern dan rankings were first created and awarded to the students of Daitō-ryū. Tokimune Takeda died in 1993 leaving no official successor, but a few of his high-ranking students, such as Katsuyuki Kondo (近藤 勝之 Kondō Katsuyuki , 1945–) and Shigemitsu Kato, now head their own Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu organizations. Aiki-jūjutsu can be broken into three styles: jujutsu (hard); aiki no jutsu (soft); and

12915-424: The traditional master-servant relationship between the lord and his vassals broke down, with the vassals eliminating the lord, internal clan and vassal conflicts over leadership of the lord's family, and frequent rebellion and puppetry by branch families against the lord's family. These events sometimes led to the rise of samurai to the rank of sengoku daimyo . For example, Hōjō Sōun was the first samurai to rise to

13038-406: The unique characteristics of the art to be its preference for controlling a downed attacker's joints with one's knee to leave one's hands free to access weapons or to deal with the threat of other attackers. Currently, there are a number of organizations that teach Daitō-ryū, each tracing their lineage back to Takeda Sokaku through one of six of his students. Those six students are: Takeda Tokimune,

13161-581: The warrior class in Japan . They were originally provincial warriors who served the Kuge and imperial court in the late 12th century, and eventually came to play a major political role until their abolition in the late 1870s during the Meiji era . In the Heian period , powerful regional clans were relied on to put down rebellions. After power struggles, the Taira clan defeated the Minamoto clan in 1160 . After

13284-521: The western third of modern-day Fukushima Prefecture ). Though these events caused the Takeda family to lose some of its power and influence, it remained intertwined with the ruling class of Japan. More importantly, the move to Aizu and subsequent events profoundly shaped what would emerge as Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu in the 19th century. One important event was the adoption of Tokugawa Ieyasu's grandson, Komatsumaru (1611–1673), by Takeda Kenshoin (fourth daughter of Takeda Shingen). Komatsumaru devoted himself to

13407-435: The word shibun ( 士分 ) , a status that can be translated as warrior class, bushi class, or samurai class. Samurai were entitled to an audience with their lord, were allowed to ride horses, and received rice from the land and peasants under their control, while kachi were not entitled to an audience with their lord, guarded their lord on foot, and received rice from the stores of the shogunate and each domain. Gokenin ,

13530-595: The word saburai appears in the Kokin Wakashū , the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the early 900s. Originally, the word samurai referred to anyone who served the emperor, the imperial family, or the imperial court nobility, even in a non-military capacity. It was not until the 17th century that the term gradually became a title for military servants of warrior families, so that, according to Michael Wert, "a warrior of elite stature in pre-seventeenth-century Japan would have been insulted to be called

13653-524: Was Seigō Okamoto (岡本 正剛 Okamoto Seigō , 1925-2015) who founded the Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Roppokai ( 大東流 合気柔術 六方会 , Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu Roppōkai ) . His interpretation of aiki and minimal movement throws. The organization has a great following abroad, especially in the United States and Europe. Another group was that of Katsumi Yonezawa (米沢 克巳 Yonezawa Katsumi , 1937–1998), who founded his own organization, called

13776-490: Was Shinra Saburo Minamoto Yoshimitsu the one who compiled all its teachings around the 11th century. Shinra Saburō Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (新羅 三郎 源 義光, 1045–1127) was a Minamoto clan samurai and member of the Seiwa Genji (the branch of the Minamoto family descended from the 56th imperial ruler of Japan, Emperor Seiwa ). Yoshimitsu studied and researched the techniques handed down in his family in more detail. It

13899-420: Was a great increase in the number of men who styled themselves samurai by virtue of bearing arms. During the Edo period , 1603 to 1868, they were mainly the stewards and chamberlains of the daimyo estates, roles they had also filled in the past. During the Edo period, they came to represent a hereditary class. On the other hand, from the mid-Edo period, chōnin (townsman) and farmers could be promoted to

14022-706: Was also approached about becoming the head of the Japanese Amateur Athletic Federation , but he declined this offer. In May 1939, Takeshita became the third president of the Japan Sumo Association . He held this post until November 1945. In April 1941, he became head of Japan's New Sword Society. This organization supported makers of modern Japanese swords that were handmade in the traditional fashion. Takeshita died in Tokyo in July 1949. Coincidentally he made his home in

14145-474: Was defended by a Japanese army of 40,000 men. The Mongol army was still on its ships preparing for the landing operation when a typhoon hit north Kyūshū island. The casualties and damage inflicted by the typhoon, followed by the Japanese defense of the Hakata Bay barrier, resulted in the Mongols again being defeated. The thunderstorms of 1274 and the typhoon of 1281 helped the samurai defenders of Japan repel

14268-411: Was eventually recalled, and the invasion was called off. The Mongol invaders used small bombs, which was likely the first appearance of bombs and gunpowder in Japan. The Japanese defenders recognized the possibility of a renewed invasion and began construction of a great stone barrier around Hakata Bay in 1276. Completed in 1277, this wall stretched for 20 kilometers around the bay. It later served as

14391-608: Was located in Momoyama. There are several theories as to when the Azuchi–Momoyama period began: 1568, when Oda Nobunaga entered Kyoto in support of Ashikaga Yoshiaki; 1573, when Oda Nobunaga expelled Ashikaga Yoshiaki from Kyoto; and 1576, when the construction of Azuchi Castle began. In any case, the beginning of the Azuchii–Momoyama period marked the complete end of the rule of the Ashikaga shogunate, which had been disrupted by

14514-471: Was named tanegashima after the Tanegashima island , which is believed to be the place where it was first introduced to Japan. By the end of the Sengoku Period, there were hundreds of thousands of arquebuses in Japan and a large army of nearly 100,000 men clashing with each other. On the battlefield, ashigaru began to fight in close formation, using yari (spear) and tanegashima . As

14637-416: Was often cut off from the hilt and shortened to make a katana . The tachi , which had become inconvenient for use on the battlefield, was transformed into a symbol of authority carried by high-ranking samurai. Although the ōdachi had become even more obsolete, some sengoku daimyo dared to organize assault and kinsmen units composed entirely of large men equipped with ōdachi to demonstrate

14760-510: Was quite wide. During the Edo Period, samurai represented a hereditary social class defined by the right to bear arms and to hold public office, as well as high social status. From the mid-Edo period, chōnin and farmers could be promoted to the samurai class by being adopted into gokenin families, or by serving in daikan offices, and kachi could be transferred to lower social classes, such as chōnin , by changing jobs. As part of

14883-486: Was reduced, and instead armor with eccentric designs became popular. By the end of the Sengoku period, allegiances between warrior vassals, also known as military retainers, and lords were solidified. Vassals would serve lords in exchange for material and intangible advantages, in keeping with Confucian ideas imported from China between the seventh and ninth centuries. These independent vassals who held land were subordinate to their superiors, who may be local lords or, in

15006-405: Was such that many military officers, government officials and members of the wealthy class began practicing Ueshiba's martial art. Takeshita was not only an admirer but also an ardent practitioner of aikido, despite his age (he was almost 50). He filled notebooks with descriptions of Ueshiba's techniques, and these descriptions provide insights into the development of aikido. In 1935, Takeshita gave

15129-541: Was teaching a more overtly combative form closer to Daitō-ryū. One of the main conduits of the influence of Ueshiba's pre-war aiki-jūjutsu was Kenji Tomiki , founder of Shodokan Aikido . Tomiki was already ranked 5th dan in judo when he began studying under Ueshiba. Today's goshin jutsu kata , or "forms of self defense" (created in 1956 by a team of experts after Kanō Jigorō's death, and thus not belonging to original judo), preserve these teachings, as does Tomiki's own organization of Shodokan Aikido. The concept of aiki

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