Taiko Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu, anyone familiar with this?

[MJones]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I am still a fairly new student of the martial arts, I spent about 6 months when I was kid learning Shorin Ryu, and then had a very long hiatus until about 6 months ago when I started training again with Okinawan Kenpo and Taiko Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu (and loving every minute of it!).

My question is, I have been trying to do some research on the Jujitsu style I am currently learning (Taiko Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu), can someone break the name (Taiko Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu) down into an English translation? I am just curious what this means, on our patch there is also "Aiki-Kai" and I also know that our form has Diato Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu in () on the website next to Taiko Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu.

One other question is, can someone translate the Japanese on my patch (larger jpg attached)? I don't know why but these two questions are nagging me, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Mekugi]

I'm not familiar with it.

I looked at their => website (http://taikoryu.com/)<= and I noticed that in the history claims that Daito ryu is 1,000 years old. That is not true ;-). It's up front about it being a derivatave, though.
I can make out the kanji.
First off, this reads from right to left.

It means "Taiko-ryu Aikikai"
"Taikoryu" (待虎流) "Waiting Tiger School"
"Aikikai" (合気会) "Aiki-group"

-Russ

[MJones]

Mekugi, thanks for your translation. I was not familiar with that website, or how its related to the dojo I am currently attending (http://www.kansaskarate.com/lineage.html). I believe our Hanshi got his Jujitsu training from Roger Greene in OK, but its interesting they had part of our patch showing on that website. There are a few other instructors that have various backgrounds that I am not familiar with as well. The primary focus of this dojo is Karate, but as of late they are allowing a little more focus on Jujitsu so I was interested in knowing more about it.

Thanks again for your help!

[TonyU]

Have you thought about asking your instructor? He or she can best tell you everything you want to know.
Btw, welcome to Budoseek.

[beachbum]

Taiku Ryu is a derivitive of traditional Daito Ryu. Each school had it's distinctive "flavor" ranging from an emphasis on Aiki to an emphasis on tradional ju jitsu stuff to an emphasis on combat and police type training and grappling. The schools were all different. It is a fun and very physical art.

[Mekugi]

I fixed the link and took a look. This would be a branch of the "Aiki-jujutsu Kodokai" that was spread by a guy named Katsumi Yonezawa (http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia?entryID=778). Hope that helps.

-Russ

[MJones]

Thanks everyone for all your help with this, it has answered some nagging questions I have had, and given me some information to follow up with my instructor('s) with to find out more. I love the Okinawan Kenpo I am learning, but I am finding Jujitsu very rewarding as well as it engages other parts of the mind (and body). I also think they blend very well together, and will offer many years if not decades of training potential. Thanks again!

[Ron Tisdale]

I don't have time at the moment for a lot of research, but judging from things like "online courses" and the link to Yonezawa (issues of issuing licenses without authority), I would take anything from this "style" with a large grain of salt. Large enough to choke on, actually...

Best,
Ron (no offense, I suggest looking at e-budo.com for posts on Yonezawa)

[MJones]

I don't have time at the moment for a lot of research, but judging from things like "online courses" and the link to Yonezawa (issues of issuing licenses without authority), I would take anything from this "style" with a large grain of salt. Large enough to choke on, actually...

Best,
Ron (no offense, I suggest looking at e-budo.com for posts on Yonezawa)

No offense taken, I still need to follow up with my instructors on this more but honestly I don't really want to get involved in the politics of it all. What I do know from my past 6 months experiences is that my instructors are excellent, and the structure is very solid and blends together well. They have varied backgrounds which I think adds a lot more to the experience because we sometimes get to see variations on our bread and butter techniques, and that also means there is a depth of knowledge to explore some day when I need more.

And besides I am still a newbie learning the 2nd joint lock flow of this style, and have barely touched the possibilities of the 1st flow (standing I have down fairly well, but not much ground work yet). Anyways I think the most important thing is having instructors you can trust and are knowledgeable to help guide you along your path, I believe I have that so that’s all that matters :)

Thanks again for the help and responses! :bow:

[beachbum]

Well said, Mjones. The way to find out if you are going to choke on salt or not is not to engage in some blog squabble but to find out for yourself what it is all about as you indicated you are. My humble opinion is that you will find Taiko Ryu to be faithful to traditional Ju-jitsu and fun and challenging.

[Ron Tisdale]

Well, I hope my comments are not indicative of "blog squabble". :D

I do feel a need, however, to at least pass on a certain perspective relative to "authenticity" and truthfullness. If my statements can be shown to be untrue, I would retract them.

On the other hand, if my statements do indeed have a basis in fact, then the reader can decide for themselves whether those facts are important to them. The caveat for me there is that if someone is less than truthfull about the source of their connection to a traditional art;

A) what else are they not being truthfull about?

B) Why do they need the trappings of a traditional art if their material is so good? Shouldn't it stand on it's own merit, without compromising itself?

C) None of the above necessarily makes anyone a "bad" person, or necessarily takes away from their skill in what they actually do.

Best,
Ron (in other words, when I say no offense, I mean it)

[Webmaster]

Well, I hope my comments are not indicative of "blog squabble". :D
Yeah Ron, you're just a mean old "squabbler"! :laugh:

You do make a good point concerning Yonezawa connection and the unusual number of licenses he has issued to Westerners. This has been well documents by many reputable sources and is not just a "blog squabble" thing. For the most part, when sources such as Aikido Journal (http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia?entryID=778) notes such irregularities, then it's time to pay attention.

[Ron Tisdale]

Hi Robert,

It is a delicate area...I have confronted people online in the past with "truth"...only to find myself in a dojo where the "misguided" were more than capable of kicking my butt! :D

Which of course is not the point, though to some it may seem so.

To be honest, it was the online courses that caused me to read more closely, and ensure that the name mentioned was in fact the one I thought.

Best,
Ron

[MJones]

I was looking at the Aikido Journal link, but I did not see any irregularities? I see that it does state that he:

"has awarded a considerable number of HIDEN MOKUROKU transmission scrolls to American students of Daito-ryu."

However that comment is pretty neutral IMHO, it does not come off as negative or positive. Had I not heard anything negative I would have simply just thought he had trained a lot of people in his time in the states, and even knowing there are some that have very negative feelings towards his history I still feel the statement is more neutral then assaulting.

At any rate after talking to my instructors the Jujitsu system they are teaching has a root in Taiko Ryu but has other sources, for example the 1st lock flow is from Taiko Ryu but the 2nd one is from another. Also as I have mentioned before this schools primary focus is Okinawan Kenpo, their Jujitsu system is still a work in progress of sorts as it’s a new offering for them. Right now the system is more about knowing a fair amount of techniques, but then also knowing them well enough to get to them from every type of attack and how to also blend the Kenpo with the Jujitsu. Also as I have stated before, just by the very makeup of the instructors backgrounds at my dojo we will probably be seeing some variations anyways. But I like that in all honesty because it gives me insight I would not get otherwise, even if it takes a little longer to cover the material I think I will become a better martial artist in the long run.

[Ron Tisdale]

Hi Mark, I suggest that you do a search on e-budo in the aiki jujutsu section. More than enough info there, and I believe you will understand my perspective much better. You might also search on Lovret.

Best,
Ron

[beachbum]

I also meant no offense. I thought "Blog squabble " was funny. My point was that the art should be investigated personally before making judgments. I have been to the Pittsburgh dojo (the one on the web page) and tested there for brown belt. If you are ever in that area, I would recommend calling them and dropping in to work out with them. Again, I apologize if I was offensive, I did not mean to be.

[Ron Tisdale]

Hey, no issues here! ;)

Enjoy your training.

Best,
Ron

[MLeva]

Hi MJones,


I was surprised and happy to see the name Taiko Ryu mentioned on this forum, and that it is still being practiced in Kansas! And that patch! It brings back good memories.

I studied Taiko Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu under Sensei Eduardo (Eddie) G. Rodriguez in Pittsburg, California, from 1993 to about 2000. Unfortunately, after that time the Pittsburg school's owners decided to close down. Some of us former students still keep in contact with one another though.

Mekugi is right about the translation of Taiko Ryu. I recall my instructors explaining that it meant "Waiting Tiger School". As for the 1000-year history of Daito Ryu, none of us students were really too concerned with the accuracy of that statement. What I do remember, though, is Taiko Ryu's head instructor, Mateo Toribio, telling us about his time with Kodo Horikawa. And that Sensei Eddie and Toribio Sensei were students of Katsumi Yonezawa. I believe Senseis Toribio, Eddie, and possibly Sensei Vern (I don't recall his last name) created Taiko Ryu in the 1980's. Most of the techniques came from Daito Ryu, but they also incorporated elements from other martial arts. Also, they wanted to adapt Daito Ryu techniques to the way people fight today, e.g. reacting to hooks and straight punches, etc.

And Beachbum is right on the money with all of his statements too. I remember the time when his group visited us from San Luis Obispo, under Sensei Terry. That was a fun time! In fact, I believe Sensei Terry was one who put many our techniques together into lock flows. It was a good way to remember and practice each technique, and also understand how one technique could transition into another.

I think it was around 1997 that Sensei Eddie and Sensei Dan Kennedy had met. On one trip Sensei Eddie brought me and my friend, Arnel, to your school in Kansas to share some techniques. Sensei Dan was very kind to us.

What drew me to Sensei Eddie and his school was his humor, his openess of allowing us to express Aiki-Jujitsu in our own ways, and the comraderie and humility of the students (and the fact that although Sensei Eddie was only about five feet tall and in his sixties, he could throw and restrain us big guys!). Keep on doing what you are doing, MJones. It sounds like your school is continuing with that same spirit.

If you want to know anything more about the school's history, I'd be happy to respond.


Regards,
Michael LeVa.

[tejitsu]

Have you asked Renshi? I am betting he would be able to break it down. BTW, good to see another Shogunite on this.