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 during a time of profound social change in Japan. The restoration of the emperor to power in the latter part of the 19th century brought with it the abolition of the samurai as a social class. Many ex-samurai found themselves without a position in society or source of income. Takeda responded to this challenge by making a living teaching the empty-handed techniques of his family’s martial art.
Takeda sensei lived a somewhat nomadic life style; 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 as taught by Takeda sensei. This deep connection between Daito Ryu and Aikido is, perhaps, most clearly reflected in the techniques of the Yoshinkan style of Aikido.
