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Refused honor

Because of his grumpy and harsh character, Ono Tadaaki was penalized three times by the Shogun. Regardless, Itto-Ryu’s toughness wasn’t reduced at all. In 1660, during the Sekigahara battle, Ono server in Hidetada’s battalion as a karita-bugyo or a sort of internal police in the army which was in charge of protecting the civilians form the horrors of war. During a roundup, accompanied by his colleague Tsuji Taronosuke, they ran into enemy patrol, killing Yoda Hyobu, and officer of great importance with the opposing army. Because the officer didn’t tell his name, they didn’t know who he was. But during the uncovering of the identity of the victim, Taronosuke said that he was the first to strike Yoda Hyobu, and Ono just finished him. To this, Tadaaki said that he sensed that they are facing someone important, but that was the exact reason he decided to strike – it turned out that Tadaaki’s version was the correct one. He was accused of working for his own glory, and his grumpy character didn’t allow him to find enough words to defend himself from this accusation. Because of this, Ono was put under the supervision of Yukimura Sanada for a year. After this period passed, because of his great skill, the Shogun takes him in his service again as a teacher, and raises his payment to 400 koku. To his misfortune, Yagyu Munenori, the official Shogun’s teacher from the Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu, and a personal friend to Tokugawa, spread greatly in his absence. This style was more about philosophy and spirituality than practicality and effectiveness. Tadaaki wanted to challenge Munenori, but he couldn’t as they both depended on the Shogun directly. According to oral transmissions, one day Ono Tadaaki left to visit the dojo of Yagyu Munenori as a guest. During the visit, the son of Munenori, Yagyu Mitsuyoshi, known as Jubei, stood up in front of Tadaaki and they crossed swords. The story says that at the same moment Yagyu Mitsuyoshi gave up, because he recognized the great skill and superiority of Ono Tadaaki. Munenori then ordered another student to face Ono Tadaaki, to which, he responded that everyone could strike at once if they want to test his skill. Four of Yagyu’s students accepted the offer – they were struck down in seconds. Two of them found themselves on the ground, the third was disarmed and the fourth injured in the head. Everyone present, especially Munenori, were surprised from the skill of Tadaaki. The story also says that Munenori, on a few occasions secretly asked and took private lessons at Tadaaki.

The heritage of Ono-ha Itto Ryu in Aizu

Before leaving this world, Ono Tadatsune transferred the entire catalog of Ono-ha Itto-Ryu to his younger brother, Ono Jiroemon Tadaoki as well as to Hoshina Masayuki, who was actually an illegitimate son to the second shogun, Hidetada Tokugawa. Masayuki was adopted by Hoshina Masamitsu, who served the Aizu (Takeda) clan, with the blessing of Hidetada in order for him to be protected from the legitimate heirs. Later, he was acknowledged by his father and brother (the third Shogun), and that way he became a Daimyo (master) to the Aizu. Out of respect, Masayuki and his clan, became on of the greatest allies to the Tokugawa family. With the intension to always be ready to defend the Shogun, he ordered every descendant of the Aizu to learn the Ono-ha Itto-Ryu school. Starting with Tadaoki, through the different successors of the Aizu clan, the techniques and kata of the school began to grow, shaping them in what they are today – Ono-ha Itto-ryu (Takeda Den).

Sokaku Takeda

Sokaku was born in 1859 in Aizu, where from his earliest years was taught to the traditional family o-shiki-uchi arts. His teacher was his relative Tanomo Saigo (1829 – 1905). Sokaku is considered the 35th soke of Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, starting from Kunitsugu Takeda. He studied other traditional martial arts as well, and because of his pride and specific character he gained a lot of street fighting experience. Towards the end of the 19th century, Sokaku began publicly teaching the art, by which he becomes the first member of the Aizu (Takeda) clan who “opened” the art to those interested. Moving to the Hokkaido island in northern Japan, he managed to travel the entire Japanese territory, teaching everywhere. During that time, he was often challenged to duels, but not once was he defeated by any of his challengers, even though he was only 152 centimeters tall and weighted only 52 kilograms. From the opening of the art, to his death, Sokaku Takeda taught more than 28.000 people, from which about 20 got teaching licenses. Some of them achieved great results. Among the names of the students, there are a lots of government officials, admirals, judges, and many other kinds of high officials from the army and police of Japan. 

Tokimune Takeda

After the death of Sokaku Takeda in 1943, the art was inherited by his second son, Tokimune Takeda (1916 – 1993). He founds the main dojo (Hombu) of the art in the city of Abashiri in Hokkaido. In 1953, Tokimune decides to reorganize the entire legacy from his father, creating a net of schools (dojos) through the country. All techniques and kata, which were to that moment learned by heart and only transmitted by word of mouth (out of fear not to be stolen), Tokimune wrote them down and sorted them in the form of a catalog (mokuroku). He named the organization Daito Ryu Aikibudo and in it were taught the family martial arts of Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu and Ono ha Itto Ryu Kenjutsu – Takeda Den (the sword school which was taught to the Takeda family). 
During his career as a policeman, Tokimune was many times awarded for arresting a lot of criminals. Each of his arrests he did without the use of a weapon – he only used Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu techniques. 

Morihei Ueshiba

The most famous student of Sokaku Takeda was Morihei Ueshiba (1883 – 1969) the founder of Aikido. He meets Sokaku in 1915 and practices with him until 1922, when he gets a teaching license (menkyo kaiden). Influenced by Onisaburo Deguchi (1871-1948), the leader of the religious sect Omoto Kyo, Morihei adopted and simplified the techniques of Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu and added a spiritual dimension to it, founding the Aikido art in the process. During the years, this art became vastly popular in the world and it has many followers today.

Antonino Certa

In 1991, searching for the roots of Aikido, the Italian Antonino Certa departs for Japan. He goes straight to the Hombu dojo in Abashiri, where he becomes a personal student to Tokimune Takeda (the 36th soke of Daito Ryu). He is the first and only non-Japanese that was accepted as a personal student of Tokimune, as well as the first and only non-Japanese that gained a Shihan title (master teacher). After Tokimune Takeda’s death, Antonino Certa practiced as the personal student of the best masters of Abashiri: the Shihan Kato, Sano and Arisawa.