Ellis Amdur

No need for me to re-debate or rewrite what I spent a book working through. But, suffice it to say:
I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading the passage you quote. Which is, btw, an account by Tokimune, not Sokaku. And nowhere whatsoever have I ever written that anyone could have questioned Sokichi's courage or valour, least of all Sokaku. I don't remember whose bought my book - and thus, I do not know if you have. but suffice it to say that I spent considerable time proposing a possible reason why a) I believe that Sokichi was the direct teacher of Sokaku in aiki b) why Sokaku didn't say so.
And to say clearly what I tried to say in a lot of words - the intention of the parent and the experience of the child can also be much at variance. Refer to Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue."

You mention that Sokaku mentioned to several people that he learned from Chikanori. Interestingly, two of those people - Sagawa Yukiyoshi and Sato Keisuke - both definitively stated that they did not believe that Saigo taught Takeda, and the latter stated that he believe Sokichi was his actual teacher.


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Ellis Amdur