Daito Ryu History and Technique
Daito Ryu is the most popular traditional Japanese martial art, at the roots - among many others - of modern disciplines like: Aikido, Yoseikan Budo, Hakko Ryu, Hapkido, Shorinji Kempo. It's study had also an influence on characters like Mas Oyama, the famous founder of the Kykushinkai Karate and Morihei Ueshiba, whose art is almost entirely based on the principles of Daito Ryu.
This book, written by one of the very few westerners to have ever studied fora consistent time lapse with the Soke - Antonino Certa Shihan - includes overy forty pages of as of yet unpublished writings by Takeda Tokimune and over 250 professional photographs.
In the text there will be approached in a technical and historical point of view both the arts ofDaito Ryu Aikijujutsu and Ona Ha Itto Ryu Kenjutsu. the japanese fencing school transmitted in parallel way to the first since XVII century and united by the Soke in single school, the Daito Ryu Aikibudo, exactly like they were studied by the samurai of the Aizu and Takeda clans up until the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the coming of the modern age (1860).
Dedicated to the practitioners of martial arts as well as scholars of Japanese culture, Daito Ryu Aikibudo. History and Technique strives to be the ultimate guide for everyone that wants to join the traditional martial arts (koryu) and a valid support and help to those who decided to make his first steps in this wonderful and refined marital discipline.
About Antonino Certa:
Antonio Certa practiced budo since the end of the 1960's. Black belt 4th dan in Aikido and 1st dan in Karate and Kendo (of which he was Italian champion), studied since the beginning with the main Japanese Senseis in Italy and Europe. At the end of the 1980's, deluded by some aspects of the modern martial disciplines, he decided to travel to Japan, in the cold land of Hokkaido, and study Daito Ryu Aiki budo, the origin of Aikido, under the guidance of Takeda Tokimune and later Kato Shigemitsu. Since then he went every year to Abashiri to study this ancient discipline, in which he matured the highest degree, the Shihan.
About the book:
Daito-ryu Aikibudo: History and Technique is the first book to comprehensively show the roots, principles and techniques of this ancient art passed down directly from its last Soke, Takeda Tokimune and his most faithful and long-time students.
The book, written by one of the very few westerners to have ever studied on a consistent basis with Takeda Soke, Antonino Certa Shihan, features: over 40 pages of never before published text directly written by Takeda Sensei about the history and principles of the School, including aiki; a great deal of original photographic material showing Takeda Tokimune Soke and Kato Shigemitsu, today's Soshi of the Nihon Daito-ryu Aikibudo association, and the other elder students of the late Soke (over 70 photos); a comprehensive technical view of all the art, including a glimpse of the most advanced catalogues of techniques like Aikinojutsu, Goshin'yo no te and Hiden Ogi as well as Takeda-den Ono-ha Itto-ryu kenjutsu (over 220 technical photos).
The book also includes biographic profiles and ranks of all the major students of Takeda Tokimune Soke and a substantial translated selection of Takeda Sokaku's eimeiroku (registers) from the Meiji to the Showa periods.
General index of the book:
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 - History of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu
Chapter 2 - Principles and Techniques of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu
Chapter 3 - History and Techniques of Takeda-den Ono-ha Itto-ryu Kenjutsu
Chapter 4 - Profiles of Daito-ryu Aikibudo's senior teachers
Appendix 1 - The Spiritual Heritage of Takeda Tokimune
Appendix 2 - The Daito-ryu Aikibudo Association