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Old 11-17-2011, 07:33 AM   #1
Ellis Amdur
 
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History: Takeda Sokaku's First Successor

To once again underscore how absolutely essential to a true understanding of the history of the development of aikido - and Daito-ryu - is Stan Pranin's Aikido Journal, consider this brief http://blog.aikidojournal.com/2011/1...untold-story/:

And in particular, this passage:
Quote:
Soon thereafter, Morihei invites Sokaku to live in his house in Shirataki, and learns from him along with 15 or 16 of his "servants and disciples." We don't have precise information about how long Sokaku stayed in Morihei's house, but we do know that a short time later Takeda would uproot his family and settle in Shirataki which became his residence for the rest of his life. This rather surprising action on the part of Sokaku reveals the importance he attached to Morihei as his student of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu. In fact, an unpublished interview with the Founder states clearly that Sokaku had asked him to become his successor around this time. Sokaku certainly had high regard for Morihei's abilities as a martial artist and considered him suitable character-wise to succeed him. Surely, Morihei's study of Daito-ryu jujutsu during this period was intense and protracted and built the martial foundation upon which his later career rested.
Quote:
Morihei's invitation to Sokaku to come live with him in Shirataki also meant that Takeda would stop his normal teaching activities to concentrate on teaching Morihei and his comrades.
Quote:
Even after Sokaku moved out of Morihei's house, he established residence in Shirataki and built his own home which was located physically within short walking distance of Morihei as a map from that period confirms.
First of all, this establishes that Ueshiba did not merely study for thirty days when they first met (I know, this has been addressed elsewhere, when looking at the complete trajectory of Ueshiba and Takeda's career) - highlighting a substantial period, probably several years where they had regular, even daily contact.

Second, Stanley is releasing new information at a rapid pace. Anyone who wishes to assert anything about aikido history - it's development and nature - who doesn't have a membership on Aikido Journal (incredibly cheap yearly fee) will be speaking from ignorance.

Ellis Amdur

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