Seal of Approval
Notes on Ueshiba Morihei’s Shinkage ryu makimono
Note: The latest editions of Kudo Ryuta and Ellis Amdur’s books (which includes this well-documented update) are good preliminary reads to this article. While not mandatory, they will provide the reader with much background and context.
This makimono sometimes comes up when discussing Ueshiba Morihei sensei’s proficiency in classical arts other than Daito ryu. At first glance, it suggests a mastery in swordsmanship by Ueshiba sensei going as early as 1922 (with presumably some decades of prior training) but also that Sokaku sensei had himself developed a proficiency in the tradition.
But none of this makes sense when contrasted with other historical facts.
Sokaku sensei, as far as we can tell, never trained in Shinkage ryu — let alone mastered the art and maintained a lineage. Additionally, the scroll itself —or at least the partial copy presented in the Budo Taikei — displays a number of peculiarities that make it quite distinct from other existing copies.
The meaning of this document has been up for debate amongst researchers. Some suggest it was awarded as a token of appreciation. Others have suggested it was a pure fabrication meant to establish credentials. Still, it would be fair to say the general consensus is that it’s unlikely to be a formal, valid transmission document in Shinkage ryu.
But what else could this makimono possibly tell us? In this article, we’ll highlight five points that stood out to me, and which I don’t believe have been discussed before — at least not from the perspective I’ll be presenting here. Hopefully, they might help future researchers further contextualize the circumstances and significance of the document awarded by Takeda Sokaku sensei.
#1: Seals
There are only two different inkan (or seal) used in this document.
I’d like to focus the reader’s attention on the highlighted one. It plainly spells Sokaku sensei’s name (武田惣角), acting as something equivalent to his personal signature.
While perhaps seemingly unremarkable, it immediately stood out for me for a number of reasons.
- I have found no other makimono bearing this seal;
- Other seals bearing Sokaku sensei’s name would almost always include it in its long form — Takeda Sokaku Minamoto no Masayoshi;
- Putting aside seals including explicit mentions to Daito ryu, Sokaku sensei would normally use a different seal over his name — again, analogous to a signature;
What also makes this seal so peculiar is that it only appears on one other historical document that I could find, also owned by the Ueshiba estate.
In this letter dated August 21st (with a date of August 23rd on the envelope, year unspecified), we can notice the same seal being used twice, once at the top of the envelope, and once over the bottom part of Sokaku sensei’s name.
It would be interesting to see whether other historical documents bearing this seal could be found (other letters, contracts, and so on). But it strikes me as a bit casual to essentially sign a makimono with the same seal you use to sign letters — especially when using the circular seal seen above would have been a perfectly good option. It is possible that there might have been a desire to use a seal with Sokaku sensei’s name clearly readable; in such a case, using some of the other stamps would obviously have looked strange, since “Daito ryu jujutsu” prefixes his name on those, in which case it’s possible this simpler one was used as a readily available fallback.
It’s quite difficult to figure out what the intent might have been here though. If the document was given out as a gift, one presumes no seals would have been warranted; an as-is copy of the document would have been enough. Perhaps these two seals were applied simply to give the document more cachet whenever shown to others. But we can only speculate.
#2: Timeline
The document above is dated September 1922 (day unspecified). While the address inscribed is Ueshiba sensei’s official address (in Tanabe), the date itself tells us where he was. As we’ve discussed previously in the article about the origins of the term Aiki, Ueshiba sensei was training under Sokaku sensei in Ayabe during that period. It’s also the time period during which the tradition was renamed from Daito ryu Jujutsu to Daito ryu Aikijujutsu.
It’s also on September 15th that Ueshiba sensei would be awarded the kyoju dairi (or representative instructor) license according to Sokaku sensei’s eimeiroku. Interestingly, records show he also purchased a sword from Sokaku sensei on the same day, thus further confirming both men were in the same location at the time.
Given that we have a number of other records of the same time period dated to the 15th of September, it seems relatively safe to assume the makimono might have been finalized (with the application of seals) on that day as well. It also opens the door to the possibility of the document itself having been transcribed in the prior months while Sokaku sensei was conducting training.
#3: Mastery and teaching
After his father’s death and during his stay at Ayabe, the Founder’s dedication to budo became single-minded, primarily due to the encouragement of Deguchi. Prior to this time he had practiced and mastered several martial arts, including swordsmanship in the Shinkage School, jujutsu in the Kito and Daito schools and others. Most remarkable among his accomplishments was his receipt of the highest certification in the Daito School from Master Takeda Sokaku, whom he had met by chance at a Hokkaido inn in 1915, when he was 32.
Source: Spirit of Aikido (first published in 1984) by Ueshiba Kisshomaru, page 97
Assuming the time period being referred to is the one we’ve previously identified — namely, the summer of 1922 — this statement would suggest the document should be treated as representing mastery in the art.
Given this makimono was usually awarded not for mastery but as a formal introduction to the Edo lineage of the Shinkage ryu tradition, this seems rather unlikely. One could even argue it would have been borderline insulting to receive the very first makimono of a tradition one has already mastered.
One possibility we need to consider is that Ueshiba had mastered a different lineage of the tradition (for argument’s sake we’ll presume the Owari line, which acts as the main line of the tradition to this day), and was given a copy of this Edo line makimono based on his existing practice.
But there are no concrete historical traces to support this narrative. One would assume that he would have received other documents stating his mastery of such a separate lineage. If the makimono we’re analyzing here were to even only partially be allowed to be published, certainly there would have been no reasons not to eventually publish partial copies of the other ones.
We would also expect other historical records (training ledgers, testimonies) to support this narrative as well. Yet, the only historical artifacts that indicate Ueshiba sensei trained in Shinkage ryu are from 1925 and later — and of training with a completely different teacher. This same teacher would then himself receive some Daito ryu training under Sokaku sensei later on.
御縁とは実に不可思議なもので 昭和の初め頃、柳生陰流印可の下条小三郎師（海軍中佐）が新宿十二社の自邸内に櫟山館（武道場）建設され柳生流を指導されて居られた時、此の道場に於て惣角の高弟 竹下勇（海軍大将）浅野正恭（海軍中将）植芝盛平の諸先生に大東流を指導して居る関係上、惣角も上京の度毎に櫟山道場に出入して居たわけである。
Around the beginning of the Showa period (1926–1989), Gejo Kozaburo (Navy Commander), a master of Yagyu Shinkage ryu, built the Ichiyama Budojo in his residence in Shinjuku’s Juniso district and was teaching Yagyu-ryu. High-level students of Sokaku such as Takeshita Isamu, Asano Sekiyo and Ueshiba Morihei would also teach Daito ryu, and Sokaku himself would visit whenever he would be in the capital.
Source: Osaka Asahi Newspaper training memories (大阪朝日新聞社の猛稽古の思出), Takeda Tokimune, Daitokan Newsletters #5, January 1st 1975
So mastery seems rather unlikley. But if he did show an interest in the art, and perhaps even practiced here and there prior to 1922, it’s perhaps possible that Ueshiba sensei sought this document as part of his personal research. It might also explain why he would have continued his practice with Gejo later on.
This quote from Tokimune sensei hints at the unlikelihood of Sokaku sensei ever teaching Shinkage ryu to anyone. It’s not as if Tokimune sensei was ever shy about his father’s other known kenjutsu practices (mainly Itto ryu), yet no mention of Sokaku sensei ever mastering Shinkage ryu is mentioned here — or anywhere else.
It’s noteworthy that while it’s unclear whether Ueshiba sensei was ever taught Itto ryu proper by Sokaku sensei, some of the terminologies of that tradition (like 八方分身) appear to have been adopted. This is rather peculiar given how Sokaku sensei strongly identified with the tradition (which in turn seems to have created a legacy of its own through so-called Sokaku-den Itto-ryu lineages — more on this in future articles). That a Shinkage ryu makimono was gifted in such a way, yet no Itto ryu documents seemingly ever were, suggests a preference — most likely on Ueshiba sensei’s part. If we follow that logic, it might then be more likely that Ueshiba sensei had found a copy which he then transcribed (instead of Sokaku sensei himself providing a copy he might have owned).
#4: The lineage
Just like Daito ryu, Shinkage ryu has a number of lineages.
The content of this makimono is not from the main line of Shinkage ryu (Owari), but from the so-called Edo lineage — the one related to Yagyu Munenori, more specifically. This raises some questions, as it is unclear whether that lineage survived unbroken into the 20th century.
このような関係で下条小三郎も植芝盛平に新陰流を教えている。昭和十年の第一回日本古武道振興会演武大会の記録では、浅野中将は下条と共に柳生流を、竹下大将は大東流を演武している。
そうすると下条小三郎が江戸柳生を誰から学んだかが問題となる。というのは、尾張柳生系の師範たちによって、江戸柳生の技は幕末あるいは、けんでん明治二十年頃には絶えてしまったと喧伝されているからである。
Through this connection, Gejo Kosaburo also taught Shinkage ryu to Ueshiba Morihei. In 1935, according to records of the first embu of the Nippon Kobudo Shinkokai, Takeshita Isamu demonstrated Daito ryu, while Gejo and Vice-admiral Asano [Sekiyo] demonstrated Yagyu ryu.
If that’s the case, we need to wonder who did Gejo learned the Edo Yagyu [Shinkage ryu] from. According to shihan related to Owari Yagyu, the techniques of the Edo Yagyu lineage died out sometime between the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the 20th century.
Source: 新陰流を哲学する — 江戸柳生の心法と刀法（一）(The Philosophy of Shinkage ryu — The heart and sword of Edo Yagyu, part 1), Akabane Tatsuo
(Note: in the above, Akabane seems to jump to the conclusion that Gejo practiced under the Edo lineage. However, most other sources specify or suggest he studied under the Owari lineage. Whether this is a mistake or a suggestion that Gejo might have been familiar with both lineages is unclear).
According to the above document, Akabane Tatsuo started his practice under Tsuruyama Kozui; he practiced both Daito ryu (eventually being awarded the Hiden Mokuroku densho by Tsuruyama). He also practiced Shinkage ryu of the Edo lineage under Tsuruyama (or perhaps some reconstructed version); this document serves as an exposé of how the spirit and techniques of the Edo lineage might have survived. However, it’s worth pointing out that Tsuruyama’s teachers themselves came from the Owari lineage, and later created their own lineage under the Arakido banner. Akabane himself is currently the head of the Kanto branch of the Shumpukan lineage of Shinkage ryu.
If the lineage indeed went extinct around the turn of the century, figuring out the origin of the content — in other words, the original copy of the document that was transcribed into this makimono — would certainly be enriching.
Alas, the makimono doesn’t provide much indication as to where it might have been based on. More specifically, whether it might have been one based on copy found in Aizu, or one Sokaku sensei might have picked during his travels. The rather short lineage is also rather unfortunate under these circumstances, but it appears to have followed convention.
If were to assume the original document was from Sokaku sensei’s collection, we can probably deduce this would have been one he would have picked up during his travels after leaving Aizu. According to history books, the presence of any Shinkage ryu training in Aizu was minimal; in comparison, there were at least four well-documented Itto ryu lineages, one of which being an otome ryu of the domain. The chances of him finding a copy during his years of travel — initially for musha shugyo, then later as a traveling teacher — therefore seem higher.
We have to wonder why Sokaku sensei’s name is seemingly included directly in the lineage. Comparatively, we can see in the above copy that the lineage is then followed by the name of the recipient, a paragraph of text, and then the name of the awarding party (the name of the recipient is repeated right after, marking the end of the document). Perhaps was it done out of respect and deference to Sokaku sensei, while avoiding explicitly stating Ueshiba sensei was his pupil in the tradition? Perhaps was it simply stylistic? This is particularly noteworthy since, unlike other idiosyncrasies, this one does not have equivalency in Daito ryu’s transmission documents; Sokaku sensei would never put his name as part of the lineage, and would generally make sure to include his title (Honbucho or Somucho) along with his name.
#5: Calligraphy
At a glance, the calligraphy appears to match Ueshiba sensei’s. While it doesn’t perfectly match his later calligraphies, in this case, we are fortunate enough to have one document we know almost for certain he wrote himself to act as a point of comparison, and from the same time period.
This isn’t unusual, and far from controversial. People will sometimes use scribes to copy these documents, or transcribe them themselves, whenever that wasn’t taken care of by the awarding party.
The question that remains, however, is whether it was written based on a copy Sokaku sensei provided to him (presumably during his stay in Ayabe in the summer of 1922), or if this was copied from a different source only to be shown to (and stamped by) Sokaku sensei later on.
As we’ve seen in point number 2 (timeline), a lot happened around the same time — if not on the same day! — this makimono was awarded. And writing full makimono is time-consuming. Keeping in mind that Sokaku sensei was present in Ayabe for a few months, we can imagine a number of scenarios:
- Sokaku sensei brought a copy in his luggage, which Ueshiba sensei transcribed;
- Ueshiba sensei had access to an unknown copy, which he transcribed and then asked Sokaku sensei to officialize;
It seems unlikely Sokaku sensei would not have been consulted regarding the redaction of the document — or perhaps even supervised it to some degree. One misconception about Sokaku sensei is that he was illiterate; in reality, while he couldn’t write much, he could read at quite a reasonable level. And given his name is on the document as part of a lineage — something he would most certainly notice prior to applying his seal — it’s safe to assume that his advice and approval would have been warranted prior to putting ink to paper.
At any rate, it seems clear that some of the forms and idiosyncracies of this document were inspired by Daito ryu densho, and thus written (and altered from the original) by someone familiar with them. For instance, the 十余世 indicating 10 generations being omitted between Munenori and Sokaku sensei is the kind of annotation almost exclusive to Daito ryu. This inclusion could have come from either man, but Sokaku sensei would have been familiar with this annotation and would have had to approve of it.
Conclusion
Despite all this additional data, I still find it quite hard to decipher the specific intent and meaning of this document. Too many contextual elements are missing from the equation. What document was it based on? Where did that original document originate from?
The seal mentioned in the first point remains the most significant thing standing out from the document. Pretty much all other seals ever applied to Daito ryu historical documents are known by that point; yet, this particular one has only been, to my knowledge, seen on documents and artifacts owned by the Ueshiba estate. Perhaps this detail alone might tell us something about the special nature of the relationship between him and Ueshiba sensei at that time — and how this makimono should be interpreted.
Hopefully, more will be discovered in the future.
