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A report on Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu
classes taught by Roy Goldberg Sensei at the Fall Clinic at The Palmetto Jujitsu Academy.
Those of us who were
able to attend both the clinic in November and Goldberg Sensei's classes were treated to an exposition of a truly ancient
martial art, one that makes our own appear to be a newborn. Daito-Ryu traces its roots back as far as 850 A.D. and Emperor
Seiwa. It was a secret art of the Minamoto clan used within the confines of the Emperor's palace by royal guards and soldiers.
The art was passed down, generation to generation through the centuries. It was named the official martial art of the Shogun,
but never exposed to the world. In the 11th century, the Minamoto clan moved to a small village in the Kai province and took
on the name of the town. From this point on the family was known as Takeda. Takeda Shingen, one of Japan's most famous generals,
inherited and passed the style on.
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| Takeda Shingen |
It was Takeda Sokaku who finally revealed Daito-Ryu to the world, teaching
thousands of people including many of the worlds most well-known martial artists. Aikido, Shorinji-Kempo, and Hapkido are
three of many modern day martial arts that trace their origins directly to Daito-Ryu.
Daito-Ryu consists of 5 scrolls
of techniques. The first scroll, containing some 118 techniques, is the basis for the arts listed above. The second scroll
contains 53 aiki no jutsu techniques; techniques which have often been described as magical. Takeda Sokaku transmitted
the art to his senior students in different ways, based on their own special talents and abilities. With some he focused
on the jujitsu-waza, with others the aiki techniques were more prominent.
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| Takeda Sokaku |
Kodo Horikawa was a senior student of Takeda's, one whose focus
was on the aiki techniques. Kodo Horikawa was given the highest honor Japan bestows upon a living man, that of meijin,
"national treasure". His aiki techniques were unparalleled. He founded Daito-Ryu Aiki-jujutsu Kodo Kai, it is this
style that Goldberg Sensei studies. Goldberg Sensei is a godan in Daito-Ryu and is the East Coast Representative of Kodo Kai
Aiki-jujutsu. He is a student of Kiyama Shihan.
Goldberg Sensei demonstrated and taught techniques from the realms
of the Daito-Ryu jujitsu-waza and aiki no jutsu. The techniques were striking for their effectiveness and for
their apparent simplicity. To the eye of the uninitiated, Daito-Ryu allows one to toss his opponent to and fro with sublime
ease. In reality, however, the techniques are comprised of a series of indescribable subtleties impossible to impart verbally.
The art is extremely difficult, taking decades to establish a basic understanding, and requiring an unrelenting level of dedication.
However, such shugyo is rewarded. The three tenets of Daito-Ryu: nintai, renketsu, kibu, translated as patience,
perseverance, hope, will lead to abilities that appear to be superhuman. In reality, however, the uniquely intense shugyo
Daito-Ryu requires leads to a deeper understanding of life, and it is that which is revealed within the techniques.
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| Kodo Horikawa, performing an aiki technique. |
As an uke, Daito-Ryu never gives one the
option of taking ukemi. One takes the ukemi because one must. The subtle motions from Goldberg Sensei after
the attack, compels uke to give himself over to the technique. Through the application of aiki, tori gains an
unprecedented level of control over uke. This results in devastating attacks and immobilizations that simply do not exist
in other systems. The techniques are as beautiful as they are shocking.
Many of the techniques
seem to hold some similarity to our own. It is likely, if the resources to conduct such research existed, that much of modern-day
jujitsu would find its roots somewhere along the Daito-Ryu lineage. Goldberg Sensei spoke of such similarities and advised
against making comparisons. Danzan-Ryu Jujitsu is its own art, with its own history and lineage. Daito-Ryu has no place within
it. The reverse is also true. The techniques of Daito-Ryu have been watered down and sprinkled into the techniques of a thousand
systems. Therein lie the similarities.
The experience was an eye-opening one for many at the clinic. It was at once
exciting and intimidating to see the capabilities a life of shugyo has to offer. The clinic left me determined to train
harder, to push the boundaries of my understanding of the martial arts. I wish to thank Sensei Tom Ryan, my Sensei, for consistently
exposing us to martial artists of the highest level, as his clinics have always done. His own mastery of jujitsu is inextricably
tied to his own pursuit of knowledge. It is heartening to realize that this pursuit has no endpoint.
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