AIKIJUJITSU SEMINAR WITH IBARRA
AIKIJUJITSU SEMINAR WITH IBARRA
An excellent seminar was held at the Baer Dojo with instruction from Sensei Ibarra. Having attended a number of Ibarra classes at IKKF functions, I knew that the weekend seminar would be spectacular. A number of hours were spent reviewing various techniques of Daito-Ryu and Yama Bushi Aikijujitsu.
Ibarra was a direct student of Shinan Pereira, founder MiYama Ryu Combat Jujutsu and is a direct student of Katsumi Yonezawa, headmaster of the Daito Ryu Bokuyokan. Shihan Ibarra teaches the traditional martial arts values while giving the student the tools to defend himself in modern times. Shihan Ibarra is the recognized Soke of YamaBushi Ryu Jujutsu and is a legitimate holder of the Sandan in Daito Ryu. He is the Shibu-Cho of the Bronx Daito Ryu Bokuyokan.
Daito-Ryu is said to have been founded by Minamoto no Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu (1045-1127), the last grandson of emperor Seiwa. Yoshimitsu, was the younger brother of Minamoto no Hachiman Taro Yoshiie (1041- 1108), who was considered to be the greatest warrior in all of Japanese History. It's very likely that the earlier combat methods of the Minamoto clan were actually just refined and perfected by General Yoshimitsu, and his elder brother Yoshiie.
Yoshimitsu, was a teacher of so-jutsu (spear), To- ho (sword methods), and Tai-jutsu (body arts), as well as archery, and he was noted firstly, for having dissected the cadavers of executed criminals and slain enemy soldiers of the "Three-year war" (1083). Through this study of the structure of the human body he mastered Gyakute and Ichigeki Hissatsu (techniques of killing with one blow); secondly, by watching the silk spider catch it's prey, he obtained a hint which led to the discovery of the core of Aiki. Therefore Yoshimitsu is considered to be the one who originally developed the techniques of Daito-Ryu by adding to the previous secret techniques of the Minamoto clan, and passing those techniques down to the Takeda family of Kai.
In 1573 Kunitsugu Takeda, a relative of Takeda Shingen was appointed governor of Aizu, and moved his family, and retainers there. It was at this time that the traditional art of Daito-Ryu took form. Daito-Ryu (also called Goshikinai ), became the official self- defense art at the Aizu castle. The successive lords, and their bodyguards practiced it as the secret art of the Aizu clan, and passed it on until the fall of the Shogunate.
According to history, only the chief samurai's with an income of more than 500 koku, the pageboys, the court ladies, and those who served directly under the Shogun, were allowed to learn the art.
Daito-Ryu was first introduced to the world by Sokaku Takeda (1860-1943), after the Meiji era. Before that time, details were hardly known, and it wasn't shown to the public. The "Aiki " technique that Sokaku had mastered was strongly influenced by Jujutsu, as evidenced by photo's published in a book by Takuma Hisa, which shows Sokaku twisting his opponents by force, using kansetsu waza (joint locking) similar to Aikido and Jujutsu. This is apparently what he usually taught.
Records show that Sokaku taught some thirty- thousand students, mostly police officers, military officers, and public officials of high standing. One of whom was Morihei Ueshiba, who later founded Aikido. Out of all these, only a handful qualified, and received the certificate of "The acting instructor". These, and their divergent schools are the only authentic successors of Daito-Ryu.
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