OUR PROUD LINEAGE 

Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is said to have been founded by Shinra Saburō Minamoto no Yoshimitsu and was only taught by the elder Samurai of the Aizu clan. The Aizu clan disappeared in the Meiji era due to the abolition of the clan and Takeda Sokaku Sensei, who was the successor at the time, made considerable efforts to spread it.

Notable disciples include Aikido founder  Ueshiba Morihei, Sagawa Yukiyoshi, Takeda Tokimune, and Matsuda Toshimi.

Daito-style techniques can be broadly classified into Jujutsu techniques, Aikijujutsu techniques, and Aiki no jutsu techniques. Daito Ryu has various forms depending on the successor. This is because Takeda Sokaku Sensei taught the techniques adapting them to his students.

​

Our line of study in Daito-Ryu follows the tradition of Matsuda Toshimi.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

                            Daito Ryu - Toshimi 'Hosaku' Matsuda 松田 敏 美 Shobukai

 

It is known that Sokaku Takeda has taught a large number of students throughout his career. Some of them were holders of a kyoju-dairi license (教授 代理 - lit. "Representative instructor [of Takeda]"), among which we find Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikido. One of Takeda's pupils was Toshimi Matsuda 松田 敏 美 伝 ・ 大 東流 合 気 柔 術 錬 心 舘, a little-known pioneer, although he had a great influence on later developments in the art. Toshimi Hosaku Matsuda (松田 敏 美), born in 1895, lived in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, during the time Takeda settled there (circa 1910-1930). It was during the Hokkaido period that many of the great masters of Daito-ryu studied with Takeda. Matsuda, a military officer, began studying Daito-ryu in June 1928 at the age of 33, as confirmed by an entry in Takeda's eimeiroku. He had been a truly exceptional student since he received the in August 1929kyoju-dairi 教授 代理from his teacher.

It should be noted that this license was the highest degree granted by Takeda at the time and that, while a dojo-cho was allowed to teach in its own dojo, a kyoju-dairi was also authorized to teach in other schools. Matsuda coincided as Takeda's student with Kodo Horikawa, the founder of Kodokai, and often mentioned him in his conversations according to Seigo Okamoto, founder of Roppokai. After receiving kyoju-dairi, Matsuda opens his dojo in Asahikawa, the Shobukan Dojo (松 武館 道場) and establishes the Shobukai (松 武 会). During his career he has had many students, some of whom have remained true to his direct line. Of them, Takeshi Maeda would become his successor. Others would eventually establish their own styles based on Matsuda's teachings.
Among his students is a Korean name who would later contribute to the growth of Hapkido in Korea. Furthermore, from 1930 to c. In 1936, he had as a student Yoshiharu Okuyama, better known as Ryuho Okuyama, and founder of Hakko-ryu. Among all of Matsuda's students, best known for keeping the Daito-ryu legacy, are undoubtedly Takeshi Maeda, Ryuho Okuyama, Masao Hayashima (founder of Doinjutsu) and Jang In Mok (precursor of Hwarangdo and Hapkido).

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

                                 Daito Ryu - Takeshi Maeda Renshinkan

​

Matsuda had the opportunity to visit Tokyo frequently due to his work, so he took advantage of this circumstance to regularly post advertisements in a newspaper about his Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu lectures. One of the many who responded to the announcement was Takeshi Maeda 前 田 武, a pharmacist by profession, who decided to visit Matsuda to receive some private lessons. Maeda, had only gained experience with Kodokan Judo and had never attended Koryu schools. So it was that he slowly fell in love with Matsuda's techniques and asked him to be accepted as a formal student. Thus, whenever Matsuda sensei moved to the capital, Maeda would go to him periodically to receive private instruction at the Shobukan Dojo in Asahikawa. Please remember that until the late 1920s, Daito-ryu was not formally taught in dojos, but through seminars and private lessons. The forms of Daito-ryu that Matsuda taught Maeda were very similar to those taught by Takeda to his other students. At the end of the war, Maeda settles in his hometown, Omama, Gunma Prefecture, and opens the Renshinkan Dojo (練 心 館 道場) where he teaches Daito-ryu. During this time, Maeda spread the Daito Ryu through seminars in the prefectures of Nagano, Gunma and Tochigi, and also gave a demonstration of Daito-ryu to the self-defense forces of Japan (自衛隊, Jieitai) in Gunma in 1963. In addition, Kenji Tomiki, student of Morihei Ueshiba, he went to see him to confirm that what he learned from Ueshiba was really Daito-ryu. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Daito Ryu Renshinkan around the world-

​

Michio Takase Sensei descendant of Renshinkan and grandson of Maeda Sensei, after years of secrecy in the school of Toshimi Matsuda despite his status as a special student of Takeda, in 2017 he decided to spread the secrets also to students outside of Japan.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

                             Daito Ryu - Michio Takase Sensei - Renshinkan

​

Daito Ryu is the national treasure of Japan. Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is a traditional Japanese martial art transmitted for generations within the Takeda family and disclosed to the public by Takeda Sokaku since the end of the 19th century. The technical tradition of Daito-ryu includes: jujutsu, aikijujutsu and aiki no jutsu and weapon techniques. His philosophy and techniques have directly influenced the development of many popular martial arts, such as Shorinji Kempo, Hakko Ryu Jujutsu, Hapkido and the most famous Aikido.

Our Daito Ryu line is Sokaku Takeda - Matsuda Toshimi Sensei.

Matsuda Sensei received the kyoju-dari certificate from Sokaku Takeda in August 1929 and was a teacher of Maeda Sensei. Maeda Sensei inherited the lineage of Matsuda Sensei.

Takase Michio is heir to the Renshinkan school. Born in Tochigi prefecture in 1964. When he was 19, he entered the Renshinkan of Maeda Takeshi. He worked as a professor in 1997, working mainly in Gunma, Tochigi and Saitama he was promoted as Renshinkan's deputy representative and has since been active in teaching Daito Ryu Renshinkan in Gunma, Tochigi and Saitama prefectures. Today, Takase sensei is the Kancho of Renshinkan who decided to introduce the school's techniques to the world in 2017, accepting the first foreign students and thus starting its diffusion in the world.

​

​

​

​