Takuma Hisa: At the Intersection of Aikido and Aikijujutsu

Below is an excerpt from an article from the Aikido Journal. More of the article may be read here.


The article is about Takuma Hisa, a student of both Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido; and Sokaku Takeda, who taught Ueshiba Aikijujutsu.


Hisa ran a dojo at the premises of his of his employer, the Asahi (Morning Sun) News. He was in a position where he was able to make a photographic record of what he taught every day. The dojo is in operation to this day, and the goal of the students is to carry on the art that Hisa taught, the way he taught it. I think this is a great tribute to a teacher.


Enjoy.

It is a daunting task to attempt to define the role of Takuma Hisa within the context of the overlapping histories of aikido and Daito-ryu aikijujutsu. The dynamics of Hisa’s associations with Morihei Ueshiba and Sokaku Takeda, two giants of modern Japanese martial arts history, are little understood. This is because Hisa was caught in an awkward situation resulting from the sometimes bizarre relationship between Ueshiba and Takeda. Hence, a principal aim of this essay will be to clarify Hisa’s relationships with his two teachers and stimulate a reevaluation of his great contribution to the aiki arts.