His students included a famous politician of the time Saigo Tsugumichi, and Hokushin Itto-ryu swordsman Shimoe Hidetaro, as well as military officers, martial artists, police officers and others.

Takeda had three very important students who went on to claim fame in the Martial Arts arena. First, our own Yoshida Kotaro; second, Moreihei Ueshiba (who needs no introduction whatsoever), it was Yoshida Sensei who introduced Ueshiba to Takeda; and third, a young nine-year-old Korean who was the house boy (some say he was adopted) of Takeda, named Choi Young Sol (1904-1986).

It was Choi who founded Hapkido. He studied with Takeda from 1913 until his master died on April 25, 1943.

As a boy, Sokaku learned kenjutsu, bojutsu, sumo, and Daito-ryu from his father, and he also studied Ohno-ha Itto-ryu at the Yokikan dojo under Shibuya Toba.

In 1873, Sokaku traveled with his father to the dojo of his father’s friend, swordmaster Sakakibara Kenkichi. He chose to stay on as a live-in student and totally immersed himself in the study of Jikishinkage-ryu. While living here, he had opportunities to meet and train with the top swordsmen of the day, many of whom had formerly been members of the Tokugawa shogunate’s Kobusho, the main Martial Arts school for the government’s retainers. He studied hard and eventually mastered many different skills and weapons, including sword, staff, half-bow, short-staff, and throwing darts. He also received a license in the spear arts of the Hozoin-ryu.

In 1875, he was on his way to help Saigo Takamori in the uprising against the new Meiji Government, but instead went to Osaka where he spent the next ten years as a guest in the Kyoshin Meichi-ryu dojo of swordmaster Momonoi Shunzo.

Sokaku learned Daito-ryu from his father Sokichi, but it was from Saigo Tanomo that he learned oshikiiuchi (secret palace arts of Ju Jitsu and sword fighting). After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Saigo Tanomo had become a Shinto priest and taken the name Hoshina Chikanori.

In 1875, Sokaku visited him at Tsutsukowake Shrine in Fukushima to study for the priesthood. When he was there, he received instruction in the arts of oshikiiuchi from Chikanori. Sokaku then decided not to become a priest, but he visited his mentor (Chikanori) many times, and under Chikanori’s instruction is said to have perfected seemingly miraculous skills of understanding another’s mind and thought, and to have grasped the true depths of oshikiiuchi.

On May 12, 1898, Chikanori presented Sokaku with a single poem. One translation of Chikanori’s poem is that it compares the flow of a river to the flow of time. The beginning of the Meiji period brought about the end of the sword era. Therefore, it was time for Sokaku to pursue and make his way with jujutsu.