Technique 23 of the Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Sōden, Volume 6
⛩️ Source
This technique is featured in a documentary filmed in 1978 under the supervision of Hisa Takuma, Menkyo Kaiden of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu and then Director of the Daitō-ryū headquarters. The documentary was created to record rare Sōden techniques that had largely fallen out of regular practice and were at risk of being lost.
The Sōden, formally titled Daitō-ryū Aiki-budō Densho Zen Juikkan, is a confidential technical compendium of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu compiled in the early 1940s. It was assembled from photographs taken at the Asahi Newspaper dojo in Osaka between 1934 and 1939 and compiled under the supervision of Hisa Takuma. The collection documents more than 500 techniques taught by Morihei Ueshiba and by Sokaku Takeda.
Volumes 1 to 6 contain the techniques transmitted by Morihei Ueshiba. In volumes 1 through 5, these techniques are notably designated as Aikidō. The sixth volume, which presents more advanced teachings from Ueshiba, is titled Dai Nihon Sōgō Budō Asahi-ryū Jūjutsu. Volumes 7 to 9 no longer use the term Aikidō and are instead titled Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu Gokui Sōden. These volumes are devoted exclusively to the teachings of Sokaku Takeda and constitute the most advanced section of the Sōden.
🔖 Technique Notes
This ultimate technique appears in Volume 6 of the Sōden but was transmitted solely verbally, without any photographic documentation. Like most Sōden entries, it has no formal name, as Sokaku Takeda and Morihei Ueshiba did not assign names to their techniques. According to Hisa Takuma: "The taninzudori (techniques against several opponents) are not high level techniques, they are not martial techniques, they are just staged for the demonstrations. It amazes people who do not know what the real martial arts are and makes them think that the Daito-ryu is splendid. These techniques are a form of propaganda." (Hisa’s words as quoted by Amatsu Yutaka – Aiki News #129, pp. 28–31).