Sokaku Takeda 武田惣角

(10 October 1859-25 April 1943). B. at 63 Oikeda Oaza, Hirosemura, Kawanuma-gun, Aizu near Aizubange-cho, in present-day Fukushima Prefecture as the second son of Sokichi Takeda. Disseminator of DAITO-RYU AIKIJUJUTSU in 20th-century Japan. Married twice, his first wife, Kon, bore two children, the eldest named Munekiyo. His second marriage to Sue produced Takemune, Tae, Tokimune (present headmaster of Daito-ryu), Eiko, Munemitsu, Shizuka and Muneyoshi. Takeda traveled extensively throughout Japan giving seminars mainly to well-to-do persons, police and military officers. He left behind extensive written records in the form of EIMEIROKU and SHAREIKOKU documents which give a good idea of the extent of his teaching activities. Takeda’s form of jujutsu is the most successful of surviving Japanese schools and his technical influence on AIKI BUDO and, hence, modern aikido is great. He is reputed to have taught some 30,000 students during his long career. Takeda first taught Morihei UESHIBA in ENGARU, Hokkaido in 1915. Among his other students of note were Kotaro YOSHIDA, Yukiyoshi SAGAWA, Kodo HORIKAWA and Takuma HISA. Succeeded by his son, Tokimune. See AN#10, 41, 67-82. See Pictorial p. 113.