Sokaku Takeda was born into a samurai family of the Aizu domain on October 10, 1859. He is credited with reviving and disseminating the martial art of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, the precursor art of Aikido. He lived an itinerant lifestyle; travelling throughout Japan giving seminars to military officers, police officers, and martial arts enthusiasts. He had a number of prominent students over the years. Perhaps, his most famous student was Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of modern Aikido. Historical research has confirmed that Ueshiba studied intensively with Takeda sensei, and that the technical underpinnings of modern Aikido are largely derived from Daito Ryu.
