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town, as the second son of Takeda Sōkichi. His father, Sōkichi, was a Miya-zumō wrestler (sumō wrestler’s name Shiraito) in the
Aizu clan and excelled in swordsmanship too. From an early age, Sōkaku was taught Sumō, Swordsmanship, Jyū-jutsu, and Bō-
jutsu from his father. In addition, he went to Shibuya Tōma’s Yōkikan in Bange village and learned the Ono-ha Ittō-ryū
swordmanship. In his early 10s, he moved to Tokyo and entered the Dōjyō the Jiki-Shinkage-ryū of Sakakibara Kenkichi, a friend
of his father's. However, he returns to Aizu because his brother Sōkatsu died suddenly. After that, he learned Oshiki-uchi from
Hoshina Chikanori (former Aizu clan chief retainers Saigō Tanomo), who was the priest of the Tsutsukowake shrine in Fukushima
(Fukushima city). It is advanced from Hoshina Chikanori to spread the Daitō-ryū Jyū-jutsu. After that, he will learn the Kiai-jutsu
of the Shugendō from Nakagawa Mannojyō in Shiokawa town, Kitakata city, the neighboring town. Aiki of Aikidō is a quotation
word from the Kiai-jutsu. Sōkaku was master the Shugendō, and to invent Aiki-jyūjutsu by incorporating the Kiai-jutsu in Jyū-jutsu.
This is where the Daitō-ryū Aiki-jyū-jutsu is born. In the name of the two style of Daito-ryū Aiki-jyū-jutsu and Ono-ha Ittō-ryū, from
Hokkaido to Kyushu, he traveled around the country and tried to spread it. He is said to be the founder of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jyūjutsu
and the founder of the present Daitō-ryū martial arts.
After hearing the above reputation, Nishi Kanjirō, Head of the 2nd Division of the Army in Sendai (Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture)
at the time, introduces the Sōkaku to the Interior Minister Saig Tsugumichi. The elder brother of Saigō Tsugumichi was Saigō
Takamori, and there was a friendship with Hoshina Chikanori after it entered the Meiji period. Knowing the circumstances, Saigō
immediately favorite to see the Sōkaku’s performance, and recommends it to a martial arts professor. Taking this opportunity, he
will teach at each police station in all prefectures of Tōhoku. After that, at the request of the Hokkaidō police, who had been working
to crack down on the pioneer people and fishermen in Hokkaidō, he instructed the police station in Hokkaidō how to arrest and the
swordmanship. Sōkaku himself did not have a Dōjyō and coached the military, police and martial artists from all over the country.
It is said that the number of the pupils who was taught it rises to about 30,000 peoples. He later moved to Hokkaidō, got married
and had seven children. One of them is Takeda Tokimune, the successor of the Daito-ryū. He also spent his later years in Hokkaidō,
where he died while teaching in Aomori prefecture. He was 84 years old. It is said that Sōkaku spread the Daitō-ryū martial arts,
have been used in the arrest of military and police forces around the world, influenced Kōdōkan Jyūdō of Kanō Jigorō, and have
influenced the martial arts and sports worlds today. "Karate chop" of the professional wrestler Rikidōzan (1924 year ~ 1963 year) is
a hand sword of the Daitō-ryū. Kyokushin-Karate founder Ōyama Masutatsu down to learn the Daitō-ryū pupil of Sōkaku. And says
that the one-legged batting method of the world's homerun king Ō Sadaharu is deeply related to Aikidō. From the Daitō-ryū martial
arts that he popularized, each school of martial arts such as Daitō-ryū Iai- Kendō and Daitō-ryū Aikidō was uplifting, and it is now
the most active school of martial arts. It is said that 1.6 million people are currently practicing Aikidō in 130 countries around the
world. The person who is related to the Oike Takeda family place is opening the Daitō-ryū Aiki Jyū-jutsu dōjyō in Aizu-Bange town,
Oikeda settlements. The photograph is a distant view of the settlements of Oikeda, the birthplace of Takeda Sōkaku.

(Welcome map, Aizu Bange town East area map)

What is Daitō-ryū martial arts…,
Sumō wrestling as a Imperial court shinto ceremony was succeeded by Seiwa-Genji, who began with his grandson Prince Mototsune,
when he was Emperor Seiwa (850 year ~ 880 year). It is said that Minamoto-no-Yoshimitsu of the descendant was entrusted to
Kai-no-kami by the war achievements of the Later-3-years-war, and acquired the divine power and the inspiration by the practice of
Mikkyō (Esoteric Buddhism) in later years. Yoshimitsu lived in the Daitō-mansion in Ōmi (Shiga prefecture) when he was a child
and was called Daitō Saburō. The name of the Daitō-ryū begins here. In the time of Yoshimitsu's great-grandson, he lives in Takeda
village, Kita-Koma county, Kai country (Kitamori city, Yamanashi prefecture), and calls himself Takeda, and later produces Takeda
Shingen, who is considered to be the strongest warlord in the Sengoku period of Japan. After Shingen's death, Takeda Kunitsugu,
shingen's younger brother' family, enters Aizu with Shingen's testament. He serve Mr. Aizu Ashina, who had a covenant with
Shingen, and will received the entire area of Oikeda, Aizu-Bange town. At this time, the Daitō-ryū martial arts were introduced to
Aizu. Even after Mr. Ashina was destroyed by Date Masamune, the Takeda family remained in Aizu.The Aizu-Takeda family,
established in Aizu, live in Oikeda settlements, Hirose district in Aizu-Bange town, and it reaches the present day.

What is Oshikiuchi…,
Mr. Hoshina Masayuki the founder of the Aizu clan, while serving in government at Edo-jyō castle (present Imperial Palace) as a
guardian and assistant to the 11 years old Ietsuna the Tokugawa 4th Shogun (General), in order to maintain the peace of the Aizu
clan, the Daitō-ryū, which was handed down by Takeda Kunitsugu, was designated as "Oshikiuchi" as a guard martial arts for the
protection of in the palace. It is also said to Aizu-Oshikiuchi in the Otomewaza(never taking off the clan) martial arts transmitted
only to the Aizu clan, it is the one that it was taught in secretly only to the near working of the Chief retainers, the senior vassals,
and the attendants which near the lord. Not only the guard of the lord and his family, sometimes it starts with the manners that
correct presence as a diplomat, it covers all martial arts in a wide range of fields, including Sword, Yawara (Jyūdō), Spear, Naginata,
Kodachi (small sword), Stick, Rope, and other martial arts and with Tea, Flowers, Waka (poetry), etc. too. The guidance in the Oshikiuchi was left to the Saigō family of the chief retainers of the first family from generations. In the Meiji period, it was passed
on to Takeda Sōkaku by Satō Kin-emon, the old Otomoban of a neighbor. The Otomoban is the guard of the lord, the organization
of 60 peoples with excellent martial arts, peoples like the current SP (security police). It to have been secret on secret to the public,
documents that record the details of the Aizu-Oshikiuchi have not yet been confirmed at this time.

Why did Saigō Tanomo give his last name Hoshina after the Boshin-war…?
Tanomo’s ancestor is, the family of the uncle of Mr. Hoshina Masamitsu, the adoptive father of Mr. Hoshina Masayuki, the founder
of the Aizu clan. Because Masamitsu adopted Mr. Masayuki, Masamitsu's cousin refrained from the family name of the main family
and called the Saigō family name on the mother's side. In other word, the Saigō family was a branch of the lord Hoshina (Aizu
Matsudaira family), it returned to the Hoshina of the real name after the Boshin-war. In the Meiji period, Tanomo had a friendship
with Saigō Takamori in Kagoshima prefecture. Mr. Masayuki is the lord of the Shinano country Takatō (Takatō town, Ina county,
Nagano prefecture) lord after the Masamitsu, after serving as the lord of the Yamagata lord of Dewa (Yamagata city, Yamagata
prefecture), he became the lord of the Aizu clan (Aizu-Wakamatsu city, Fukushima prefecture).