Ueshiba Morihei's "Escape from Osaka" - It Ain't Necessarily So

The more or less official version that circulates among Daito-ryu practitioners regarding Ueshiba's departure, one which never fails to make them giggle, is as follows:

Hisa TakumaHisa Takuma (久 琢磨, c.1895 – 1980) was a prominent Japanese martial artist with a strong sumo backgound. He studied Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu at the Asahi Journal in Osaka with Ueshiba Morihei, and subsequently Takeda Sokaku. He received the menkyo kaiden in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu from Takeda in 1939 and the 8th dan in aikido from Ueshiba in 1956. Sensei then went to Ueshiba Sensei and informed him of the arrival of the man named Sokaku Takeda. Apparently the color of Ueshiba Sensei’s face changed. His only comment was, “Is that so?” He didn’t look happy nor did it seem like he was going to greet Sokaku. Then he disappeared suddenly. Mori Hakaru - Aiki News # 81 (July 1980) (reprint available here)

I myself have long thought this version to be an accurate representation. However, as I started to look into it, I realized that the truth was probably a little more complex. In fact, depending on who you ask, the explanation that is often put forward for his departure can vary.

According to some sources, the reason was a financial dispute between the two men. Indeed, the last certificate that Morihei received from Takeda in 1922 is the kyoju dairi (教授代理), a title of representative instructor, and although this title allowed its holder to teach freely, it forced him to pay Takeda the sum of three yen for each monjin (門人), i.e. a pupil that he officially registered. Ueshiba therefore had to regularly pay money to Takeda, which he did, as far as we know. In fact, the times he forgot, Takeda never failed to remind his student by paying him a visit in personAccordign to Nakakura Kiyoshi (中倉 清) in Aiki News # 79. On the other hand, pro-Ueshiba people were more eager to paint a portrait of Takeda as a monstrously venal individual who would have extorted exorbitant sums from Ueshiba throughout his life. However, in his previous entry in our "It Aint Necessarily So" series, Ellis Amdur demonstrated that Morihei was more than able to afford what seemed to be fairly reasonable sums for the time, which makes me think that money cannot be the only reason for this departure.

Ueshiba Morihei in front of the Osaka Asahi Newspaper. On his right is the study group’s leader, Hisa Takuma (1935). 

On the Daito-ryu side, people sometimes like to argue that Ueshiba acted as a usurper of Takeda's knowledge and that the surprise arrival of his master pushed Ueshiba to flight. Upon arriving in Osaka, Takeda reportedly said:

Hello in there! Send out the Director of General Affairs. I am Ueshiba Morihei’s Aiki-jujutsu teacher, and my name is Takeda Sokaku. I hear that despite his inexperience, Morihei has been teaching Aiki-jujutsu here. I regard it as a matter of great importance for the honor of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu if poor techniques are taught at the Asahi News, under the eyes of the whole world. So I’ve come from Hokkaido as quickly as I could. Takeda Sokaku, quoted by Hisa Takuma in his autobiography written in 1965: "From Aiki-jujutsu to Aikido (合気柔術から合気道へ)"

However, much earlier, Hisa used to relate things a little differently:

From that time we not only devoted ourselves to training under Ueshiba Sensei regardless of the severity of the weather, but we also invited Ueshiba Sensei’s teacher, Sokaku Takeda Dai-Sensei, the headmaster of the art, all the way from Hokkaido to teach us the secret arts of Daito-ryu which were forbidden to be taught to outsiders. Hisa Takuma - "Daito-ryu Aiki-budo" published in Shin Budo in November 1942

menkyo kaiden in Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu (1939).

This offers a possible new explanation for Ueshiba's refusal to see his teacher. Ueshiba had been very officially mandated to teach the Asahi Journal group by Ishii MitsujiroIshii Mitsujiro (石井 光次郎, 1889 - 1981) was a Japanese politician. He has served as 54th Chairman of the House of Representatives, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Secretary of Administrative Administration, Secretary of Hokkaido Development Agency, Minister of Transport, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and President of Asahi Broadcasting Corporation., a prominent politician. I can't imagine how a man like Takeda, with the connections he had, could not have known about it. In addition, knowing the complexity of Japanese administration, I do not see how Takeda could have decided unilaterally to claim the position and salary of Ueshiba. You should know that Hisa was the bucho (部長) of the group, and that he was therefore the only one with the power to submit a request for this change to his hierarchy.

Ishii Mitsujiro at the Kansai Aikido Club in 1962. Hisa is kneeling on the right.

Yonekawa ShigemiYonekawa Shigemi (米川 成美, 1910 - 2005) entered Ueshiba Morihei's Kobukan Dojo as uchi deshi around 1932. He taught at various locations as his assistant both in the Tokyo and Osaka. He appeared as Ueshiba's uke in the Asahi News film shot c. 1935 as well as on the Noma Dojo photos series shot c. 1935-36., who was one of the assistants of Ueshiba at the time, mentioned in an interview that Takeda was indeed aware of Ueshiba's connection with the journal. Interestingly, he offered a version that may actually re-conciliate both of Hisa's versions:

But I think that probably Takeda Sensei went to the Asahi News Office on his own initiative. I think if it was necessary to get an invitation, he might have said something to someone at the newspaper office in order to get invited. Yonekawa Shigemi - Aiki News # 62, July 1984 (reprint available here)

In any case, whoever it came from, it would be understandable for Ueshiba to take this sudden replacement badly. Remembered that a fairly similar incident occurred in 1922 when Morihei was teaching in the OmotoOmoto (大本, litt.: Great Origin) is a religion founded in 1892 by Deguchi Nao (出口 なお, 1837 – 1918), often categorised as a new Japanese religion originated from Shinto. community and that, according to some sources, Takeda was asked to teach to compensate for Morihei's technical limitations. It is moreover at the end of this period that Takeda appointed Ueshiba as kyoju dairi, de facto sealing the financial relationship between the two.

Takeda Sokaku went to Ayabe and brought his wife and son, Tokimune, and took over the direction of training. He did it because Ueshiba had not practiced Daito-ryu for a long time. Deguchi Onisaburo, for example, was quite powerful, it was difficult to do techniques on him. So he had to call Takeda Sensei to teach them how to do it. Kobayashi Kiyohiro - Interview with Kobayashi Kiyohiro, 8th Dan Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu

Ueshiba Morihei in Ayabe in 1922. The sign behind him says "Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu - Student of Takeda Sokaku".

From all accounts collected from people who witnessed the relationship, it is unquestionable that Ueshiba strove to be the perfect disciple to his own expense, both monetary (throughout his life, he gave Takeda money, a dojo and some land) and physically. Literally, he had to turn over his life to Takeda when he showed up — and this really compromised his status and activities with people in the military. Takeda was connected, to be sure, but his age, character, and lesser intellectual refinement made him far less desirable an asset to the generals and admirals than Ueshiba surely was.

Morihei Ueshiba on board of the warship Mikasa (三笠) c. 1940.

It is here that some knowledge of Japan and the sensei/deshi relationship is essential to begin to get an idea of ​​the situation. You have to understand that even if Ueshiba had had all the strength of character necessary to confront Takeda directly, it would have been practically impossible for him to do so, for many linguistic, social, human and cultural reasons. Moreover, it is difficult to overstate how huge the generational and cultural gap between the two men could be.

What if Ueshiba had remained there without saying anything ? It is likely that Takeda would have used Ueshiba for his demonstrations, while making sure to criticize any of his shortcomings. The precedent established in Ayabe was probably still vivid in Morihei's mind. I had the opportunity to witness this with my own eyes. My teacher, Chiba Tsugutaka Sensei, used to ask some of his more advanced students with an overdeveloped ego to demonstrate in front of everyone during the large seminars and he never failed to criticize and make fun at what he judged to be incompetence.

So clearly, I don't see at all how staying in Osaka, whether to serve or to confront Takeda, could have benefited Ueshiba in any way. To distance himself for good by leaving Takeda a very prestigious and lucrative job seems to me to have been a much more judicious approach. There is also no denying that Ueshiba sought earlier on to gain independence from Takeda, as some sources suggest.

Ueshiba's Daito-ryu Aiki Ju-jutsu was renamed Aioi-ryu Aiki Ju-jutsu in 1928, and was declared independent from Daito-ryu Aiki Ju-jutsu. After that, it became clear that the name changed to Aiki-bujutsu in 1929 and Aiki-budo around 1933. Shishida Fumiaki - 合気道の形成過程に関する研究：海軍大将竹下勇関係文書を中心に

The following document recently circulated by Chris Li confirms this, as it is the actual Aioi Aiki-jujutsu Hiden Mokuroku (相生合気柔術秘伝目録) certificate awarded by Ueshiba Morihei to Takeshita SetsuTakeshita Setsu (竹下 節), the second daughter of Admiral Takeshita IsamuTakeshita Isamu (竹下 勇, 1870 - 1949) was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He was also a diplomat who helped end the Russo-Japanese War. Passionate practitioner of Japanese martial arts, he was particularly supportive of the development of judo, sumo and aikido. in 1928.

Aioi-ryu Aiki-jujutsu certificate awarded in 1928 by Ueshiba Morihei to Takeshita Setsu.

Ellis Amdur informed me of the existence of passages in the journal of Takeshita around 1932 referring to the "Takeda problem" (武田の問題). According to Ellis, these problems arose despite Ueshiba's continued loyalty to Takeda because of the growing contradictions between Takeda's pre-modern attitude and the Aioikai's goal of integrating aiki-jutsu within military training from a modernized budo perspective. The events at the Asahi newspaper may in fact have provided an ideal way out for Ueshiba.

Whatever the reason, the circumstances following this departure are also more complex than what is usually said. During several discussions with senior practitioners in Kansai, I understood that Ueshiba and Takeda were actually both active in Osaka for a time, and that there were not one, but several training locations.

From the next day, Asahi employees studied with Ueshiba in the morning and Takeda in the evening. After a week or so, Ueshiba returned to Tokyo without telling anyone. Takeda continued to teach them from that point on. Amatsu Yutaka - 生きている幻の古武道 免許皆伝・久琢磨の教えた大東流

For the Asahi group alone, there were at least three major training locations: the dojo of the Asahi Journal near Umeda Station, the Sonezaki police station, and an industrialists’ club called the Yuko ClubAs related by Yonekawa Shigemi in Aiki News # 62, July 1984. Outside of the Asahi assignment, it is evident that Ueshiba also taught elsewhere.

At that time, O Sensei spent half the month in Tokyo and the other half in Osaka. There were about eight places to train in Osaka, including dojos in Aobasu, the Zaikyo Gunjindan, and the Sumitomo Club, which was the largest. Shioda Gozo - Aikido Pioneers - Prewar Era p. 149

Like Shioda, Yonekawa also reported that Ueshiba Morihei did not stay full time in Osaka but instead, made numerous short trips. This somewhat undermines the grandeur of saying that "Ueshiba left Osaka", since he must have been doing just that on a very regular basis. Morihei was not the only teacher for the Asahi group, and several of his students including Shirata RinjiroShirata Rinjiro (白田 林二郎, 1912 - 1993) was a 9th dan aikido instructor. Born in Yamagata prefecture, he obtained 2nd dan in judo at the age of 17. He joined the Kobukan Dojo as an uchi deshi in 1933. He later traveled to Osaka with the O Sensei and remained there as a teacher., Yonekawa Shigemi and Yukawa TsutomuYukawa Tsutomu (湯川 勉 1911–1942) began his martial arts training in judo, studying under Hoshi Tesshin. In 1931 he travelled to Tokyo to study at the Kodokan, but whilst in the city he encountered aikido's founder, Ueshiba Morihei and decided to become his pupil. He died from stab wounds sustained during a fight with a soldier in Osaka. would teach there in his place as well as in their own dojo, and unlike him, they lived in Osaka full timeAccording to Akazawa Zenzaburo (赤沢 善三郎) - Aikido Pioneers - Prewar Era p. 149.

A fascinating document that fits this narrative has recently appeared, it is a transmission scroll given by Ueshiba Morihei to Morita Giichi (森田 儀一), who was the chief of the Sonezaki police station, which I mentioned earlier.

Aioi-ryu okui no maki (相生流奥意の巻) awarded by Ueshiba Moritaka to Morita Giichi in March 1937.

This document is interesting in many ways. First of all, the scroll is dated March 1937, one year after the arrival of Takeda Sokaku, which therefore confirms that Ueshiba Morihei maintained some activity in Osaka while Takeda was present, and which once again seriously undermines the hypothesis of the sudden escape, never to return.

Then the name of the school is not, as one would expect, "Daito-ryu" (大東流), but "Aioi-ryu" (相生流), a term that Ueshiba has sometimes used during his life, either to name his art, or to speak of a confidential martial art originating from his family. One has to be careful because in Japan, nomenclature is often fluid, and many foreign practitioners make the mistake of reading too much into the use of one term instead of another, such as for example budo and bujutsu, which in Japan often mean the same thing. As another example, here, Ueshiba does not sign using his first name Morihei (盛平), but using one of his other names: Moritaka (守高).

In spite of these reservations, an important detail does need to be mentioned. While the name Daito-ryu does not appear in the title (unlike in Takshita's certificate), the document is covered with the same "aiki-jujutsu" (合気柔術) stamps as those used on the Daito-ryu documents that Ueshiba issued at various stages of his life (Takeshita's Aioi-ryu certificate above also bares those stamps), which clearly indicates that the technical content comes from what he learned from Takeda. Note however that it would be a mistake to think that the term aiki-jujutsu was the property of Takeda, since it was in fact likely the brainchildAccording to an interview with Noriaki Inoue - Aiki News #73 of Deguchi OnisaburoDeguchi Onisaburo (出口 王仁三郎, 1871–1948) is considered one of the two spiritual leaders of the Omoto religious movement in Japan. He greatly influenced Ueshiba Morihei's philosophy and his development of aikido..

Beginning of the scroll describing a series of 18 techniques. 

The document first lists a series of 18 techniques, accompanied with explanations. Unfortunately, the low resolution of the photos makes the reading of the technical explanations difficult, so I cannot at this time comment on the articulation nor the level corresponding to the techniques presented. The whole document is called okui no maki (奥意の巻), which is also unusual. In Daito-ryu we have a scroll called hiden ogi (秘傳奥儀), but it contains 36 techniques. The scroll also makes mention of other sections, but no particular techniques are listed nor explained.

There is a whole section that explains the various qualities of characters that the recipient as displayed to deserve the scroll, which is extremely similar to those written on my own various Daito-ryu diplomas. I've indeed noticed over the years that it is not unusual to lift entire sections from one document to create another, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the same wording on other titles that Morihei awarded.

Section enumerating several groups of techniques, including the series of 18 explained previously, a mention of a repertoire of 218 techniques (instead of the 118 usual techniques of hiden mokuroku of Daito-ryu), and aiki-kenpo techniques (合気 剣法). There is also the term aiki-doho (合気 道法), which does not necessarily mean that Morihei used the term aikido before it was officially registered with Dai Nippon Butokukai in 1942, but which rather means something like "the way of enlightenment through aiki".

The following section is equally interesting, it copies some parts found in Ueshiba Morihei's book published around 1934 under the name "Aiki-jujutsu Densho". In particular, the section below reproduces the chapter that deals with the budo ogi uta (武道奥義歌) section of the book. It is part of a series of poems called doka (道歌)For more information, read Chris Li's excellent article on the subject. written by Ueshiba Morihei but I must admit that besides comparing it to that of the other book, deciphering that particular section goes well beyond my linguistic ability. A partial English translation of the original text from Budo Renshu is available for those who wish to read those poems.

This section presents poems by Ueshiba Morihei.

On such a document, one would expect to see a section mentioning the lineage of teachers up to the person handing over the scroll. Here the name of Takeda and any lineage are completely absent, which fits the idea that by calling his school Aioi-ryu, Morihei was trying to free himself from the influence of Sokaku.

Interestingly, Sokaku's name is written on Takeshita's 1928 certificate. The presence of both Sokaku's lineage and the name Aioi-ryu is actually quite odd since the kyoju dairi title that Morihei received from Takeda in 1922 does not, in principle, allow him to branch out into a completely different ryu name. It is actually unclear whether Takeda was aware of the existence of the document, and of its name alteration, but it certainly raises a number of interesting questions.

One might think that the name change and the absence of mention of Takeda's lineage on the 1937 document could  constitute a progression on this disassociation, one that could for instance exempt Ueshiba from paying royalties to Takeda. However, remember that at this very moment, Takeda was officially teaching Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu in Osaka, so we might just as well see an effort on the part of Ueshiba not to walk on his former professor's turfNote that as far as we know, Ueshiba Morihei did not deliver any certificates to the students of the Asahi Journal. This point is addressed explicitly in Amatsu Yutaka's book.. In addition, note that Aioikai (相生会) is also the name of the group formed by Takeshita Isamu around Ueshiba.

Morita Giichi (森田 儀一)

One can then wonder what the document could represent for its recipient. If we consider that Morita Giichi was with Tomita KenjiTomita Kenji (富田 健治, 1897 - 1977) was a Japanese politician from Kobe. A graduate of Kyoto University, he was governor of Nagano Prefecture from 1938 to 1940 and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1952. Tomita studied judo and aikido and he used his influence to protect Ueshiba Morihei from an arrest during the second Omoto incident in 1935. He was the first president of Aikikai. one of the people who protected Morihei from ending up in prison following the second repression of Omoto-kyo by the government in 1935Peter Goldsbury wrote a very comprehensive discussion on the subject., we may be tempted to think that Ueshiba would have been unwise to cut ties with the people of Osaka so suddenly, some of whom he owed his freedom to, barely a year before. It is indeed possible that this scroll was handed over for reasons other than purely technical ones, such as a thank you or a sign of respect. It is not at all uncommon in Japan to award honorary titles, but it should be noted however that Morita had substantial martial arts experience and he even wrote in 1942 an article entitled "Keisatsu Budo no Kouryu" (警察武道の興隆), which means: "The advent of police martial arts" (available, with the full length scroll, for my supporters on Patreon).

To finish this essay, which by its very nature is subject to updates, I remember a discussion I had with Chiba Tsugutaka, who was a student of Hisa Takuma and Nakatsu HeizaburoNakatsu Heizaburo (中津 平三郎, 1894 - 1960) was a prominent judoka (6th dan Kodokan) and former police officer. He studied Daito-ryu aiki-jujtsu at the Asahi newspaper in Osaka under Ueshiba Morihei and Takeda Sokaku. Takeda awarded him the hiden ogi no koto certificate in 1936 and appointed him as kyoju dairi in 1937., in the company of Olivier Gaurin and Sato Hideaki. When we jokingly mentioned Ueshiba's "escape", Chiba Sensei interrupted us rather sharply by saying: "None of us were there, we don't know!" I think by that, Chiba Sensei meant that we often tend to want things to be either black or white, and that the truth is most of the time in shades of gray.

Many thanks to Ellis Amdur, Jordy Delage, Mihaly Dobroka and Chris Li for the stimulating discussions that led to the redaction of this article. This scroll and several others were brought up to my attention by Scott Burke; many thanks to him.