Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu

Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu is a 1200 year old samurai martial art and a National Treasure of Japan. Its core principles focus on subtle balance manipulations that can complement and enrich any martial arts training. Daito Ryu is not just a set of techniques, but a way of thinking that can transform the practice of budo.

This has directly influenced the development of many popular martial arts such as Shorinji Kempo, Hakko Ryu Jujutsu, Hapkido and most famously Aikido.

Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is a traditional Japanese martial art that was passed down through the generations within the Takeda family of the Aizu domain and was made public by Takeda Sokaku beginning around the late 19th century. The main line of this tradition was inherited by Takeda Tokimune, son of Takeda Sokaku, and then passed on to Kondo Katsuyuki. Kondo Katsuyuki Takeda is the only person to have received a menkyo kaiden (full transmission license) from Tokimune and continues today as the leader of the Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu tradition.

Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is a form of jujutsu with a system of unarmed combat and small arms techniques to defeat both armed and unarmed opponents. As the name suggests, it is celebrated to emphasize the principles of aiki (some aspects of aiki are also called kuzushi). The Daito-ryu technical tradition includes both jujutsu and aikijujutsu, but a clear distinction is made between the two and the emphasis is on the latter.

Since ancient times, the advice to "attack where the opponent is off balance" has been a basic axiom of Asian martial arts. In Daito-ryu, the principle of "how to balance an opponent" is called aiki, and much of the tradition's oral transmission and secret teachings relate to various aspects of aiki.

Today, Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is the cultural heritage of the Japanese warrior class with a long history and tradition. It was developed as a means of self-defense against unprovoked violence, with the ultimate goal not to cause violence, but to defuse it. This is one of the reasons why Daito-ryu uses forms (kata) to practice the art, but does not involve any competitive matches. Furthermore, as a classical Japanese martial art, Daito-ryu goes beyond mere self-defense, offering a way to discipline the body and mind with the goal of developing personal character and contributing to the greater public good.

Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu is a permanent member of the Japanese Traditional Martial Arts Association (Nihon Kobudo Kyokai) and the Japanese Traditional Martial Arts Promotion Association (Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai). Every year, the school's leaders and representatives participate in Japan's major martial arts exhibitions held at Japan's Nippon Budokan, Asakusa Riverside Sports Center, Meiji Temple, Kashima Shrine and other locations.