Author: Bret Gordon
Traditional Japanese martial arts are often known for their secrecy, and often times operate more like organized crime families than what we'd expect as Westerners looking at these headmasters with a romanticized view of Asian culture. Step out of line and you risk finding yourself persona non grata. While I don't know of any soke ordering a hit on their subordinate instructors, issuing expulsions and publicizing character assassinations are more common than they should be.
The most famous example of a ryuha behaving in this manner is Hakko Ryu Jujutsu. Originally founded in 1941 by Okuyama Ryuho, the art is now overseen by his son and Nidai Soke Okuyama Ryuho. Since assuming control over the art, Nidai Soke has ruled the art with an iron fist. Numerous students of his father left and started their own organizations due to his policies, including high ranking instructors such as Michael LaMonica, Dennis Palumbo and Harris Warren. Because they refused to pay the exorbitant fees instituted by Nidai Soke and/or relinquish the freedom they had under his father, they are now listed under "Fraudulent Claims" on the official Hakko Ryu website (click here) despite no such fraud having been committed. Then of course there's their official instructor list, which at the top clearly states numerous individuals who should be found on the list are not "due to failure of an individual in good standing to abide by Rules and Regulations such as failure to stay current with Shihan dues, failure to process pupil registrations or dues in a timely manner, etc."
Of course, the headmaster of an art has the complete right to make any changes to the system or organization they see fit, and those who don't like it are encouraged to leave. To then state they are fraudulent, however, because they credit their previous experience in Hakko Ryu is wrong. It tarnishes the reputation of students who dedicated decades of their life to the art. It's quite frankly extortion. Rather than leaving well enough alone and letting those who want to leave do so without issue, they are unjustly branded as frauds.
The most famous example of a ryuha behaving in this manner is Hakko Ryu Jujutsu. Originally founded in 1941 by Okuyama Ryuho, the art is now overseen by his son and Nidai Soke Okuyama Ryuho. Since assuming control over the art, Nidai Soke has ruled the art with an iron fist. Numerous students of his father left and started their own organizations due to his policies, including high ranking instructors such as Michael LaMonica, Dennis Palumbo and Harris Warren. Because they refused to pay the exorbitant fees instituted by Nidai Soke and/or relinquish the freedom they had under his father, they are now listed under "Fraudulent Claims" on the official Hakko Ryu website (click here) despite no such fraud having been committed. Then of course there's their official instructor list, which at the top clearly states numerous individuals who should be found on the list are not "due to failure of an individual in good standing to abide by Rules and Regulations such as failure to stay current with Shihan dues, failure to process pupil registrations or dues in a timely manner, etc."
Of course, the headmaster of an art has the complete right to make any changes to the system or organization they see fit, and those who don't like it are encouraged to leave. To then state they are fraudulent, however, because they credit their previous experience in Hakko Ryu is wrong. It tarnishes the reputation of students who dedicated decades of their life to the art. It's quite frankly extortion. Rather than leaving well enough alone and letting those who want to leave do so without issue, they are unjustly branded as frauds.
Another case of an organization issuing hamon (expulsion) and throwing someone to the wolves unjustly is the Daito Ryu Kodokai's handling of Tadashi Nomoto. On April 14th, a video of Tadashi demonstrating various aiki techniques was published and people quickly took offense to it. Not because he demonstrated classical aiki no jutsu, which those who do not understand what is being shown often trash anyway, but because in the background was a Hiden Ogi certificate, often understood to be the equivalent of a Menkyo Kaiden in the Kodokai line of Daito Ryu. The question arose as to its origins, which noted author Guillaume Erard detailed in his article on the matter (click here). However, to summarize, the certificate was issued by Tadashi's direct instructor, Shimbo Tatsuo, a recognized Menkyo Kaiden by the Kodokai.
 Shimbo and Tadashi with Hiden Ogi |  Shimbo listed as Menkyo Kaiden on Kodokai website |
Now, in every other art or organization, Menkyo Kaiden is understood to be the "license of full transmission" and the holder is authorized to transmit the art as they see fit, including issuing various certifications. However, this was not the case with the Kodokai apparently, as they were quick to issue the following letter:
"To whom it may concern,
First, we would like to state that the Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Menkyo Kaiden (certification of full transmission) that Nomoto Tadashi displays in his practice hall, which can be seen in a YouTube video released on April 4th, 2022, is not authentic. Inoue Yusuke, our highest authority, was not in any way involved with the issuance of the aforementioned certificate.
We at the Kōdōkai believe the issuance of high ranks, such as Menkyo Kaiden, is an important matter that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and which should only be issued with the consensus of the Kōdōkai executive board. However, driven by his ambition, Nomoto Tadashi attempted to covertly obtain a higher position through unjust means. Denounced unanimously for his unscrupulous scheme, in October of 2021 he was given Hamon & Jomei (expulsion and excommunication) from the Kōdōkai for violating Article 5 of our organization’s rules, as set forth in the Will of our founder, Horikawa Kodo. Recently he shamelessly claimed to hold Menkyo Kaiden, when in reality, he was never even certified as a Shihan. This is nothing short of a vanity-filled act, which cannot be tolerated when weighed against the standard practices embraced within the world of Budō.
Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu is a rare cultural heritage with a long history and tradition, characterized by a vast catalog of sophisticated techniques, which in turn require long shugyō (austere training) to master. While the art is composed of a group of techniques colored by a diverse system of doctrines, the process of mastering these techniques structurally contains a depth that transcends that of mere martial arts, and relates to spiritual cultivation. Through training, one realizes that the refinement necessary to execute these techniques is impeded by the evil mind, and the deepening of techniques, halted by vanity. Therefore, it is necessary to remain humble and free from arrogance, by embracing the principles of sessatakuma (polishing oneself) and shugyō (austere training). First and foremost, exponents are required to cultivate such a mindset.
The Kōdōkai is composed of those who aspire to such a Budō. Our mission is not only to pass on the exquisite techniques of Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu, but also to build character, based on intellect and dignity.
In closing, we reiterate that the Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Menkyo Kaiden claimed by Nomoto Tadashi is of unclear origin, and has absolutely nothing to do with the Kōdōkai. Of this, please rest assured.
Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Kōdōkai General Headquarters Director Matsumoto Masakuni
Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Kōdōkai Chief Advisor Inoue Yusuke"
First, we would like to state that the Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Menkyo Kaiden (certification of full transmission) that Nomoto Tadashi displays in his practice hall, which can be seen in a YouTube video released on April 4th, 2022, is not authentic. Inoue Yusuke, our highest authority, was not in any way involved with the issuance of the aforementioned certificate.
We at the Kōdōkai believe the issuance of high ranks, such as Menkyo Kaiden, is an important matter that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and which should only be issued with the consensus of the Kōdōkai executive board. However, driven by his ambition, Nomoto Tadashi attempted to covertly obtain a higher position through unjust means. Denounced unanimously for his unscrupulous scheme, in October of 2021 he was given Hamon & Jomei (expulsion and excommunication) from the Kōdōkai for violating Article 5 of our organization’s rules, as set forth in the Will of our founder, Horikawa Kodo. Recently he shamelessly claimed to hold Menkyo Kaiden, when in reality, he was never even certified as a Shihan. This is nothing short of a vanity-filled act, which cannot be tolerated when weighed against the standard practices embraced within the world of Budō.
Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu is a rare cultural heritage with a long history and tradition, characterized by a vast catalog of sophisticated techniques, which in turn require long shugyō (austere training) to master. While the art is composed of a group of techniques colored by a diverse system of doctrines, the process of mastering these techniques structurally contains a depth that transcends that of mere martial arts, and relates to spiritual cultivation. Through training, one realizes that the refinement necessary to execute these techniques is impeded by the evil mind, and the deepening of techniques, halted by vanity. Therefore, it is necessary to remain humble and free from arrogance, by embracing the principles of sessatakuma (polishing oneself) and shugyō (austere training). First and foremost, exponents are required to cultivate such a mindset.
The Kōdōkai is composed of those who aspire to such a Budō. Our mission is not only to pass on the exquisite techniques of Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu, but also to build character, based on intellect and dignity.
In closing, we reiterate that the Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Menkyo Kaiden claimed by Nomoto Tadashi is of unclear origin, and has absolutely nothing to do with the Kōdōkai. Of this, please rest assured.
Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Kōdōkai General Headquarters Director Matsumoto Masakuni
Daitō-ryū Aikijūjutsu Kōdōkai Chief Advisor Inoue Yusuke"
So we have a legitimate Menkyo Kaiden, Shimbo Tatsuo, issuing a certificate to his student, and its somehow fraudulent, and both worthy of expulsion and public condemnation, because it was not issued by the organization itself (read: the Kodokai didn't get their share of the fees). If that is the case, why issue the Menkyo Kaiden license to anyone who is not appointed headmaster of the Kodokai if they are not authorized to exercise the rights and privileges understood to be held in that position in nearly every other ryuha? In my opinion, this is nothing more than an organization getting upset due to a lack of control they're able to exercise over Tadashi Nomoto, who has already separated from the Kodokai and now runs his own organization: Daito Ryu Koshinkai. This just shows the true character of those running the Kodokai, how willing they are to manipulate a situation and distort facts to suit their interests without any regard for those involved.
But that is par for the course with Daito Ryu in general. One of the most famous examples of the "wall of silence" lasted over 70 years. In 1946 when Choi Yong Sul returned to Korea and subsequently began teaching Dae Dong Ryu Hapki Yusul (among other names), itself a Korean translation of Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, the mainline immediately dismissed his claims. For decades, they maintained so strongly that there was absolutely no record of Choi ever studying Daito Ryu that the entire Japanese martial arts community believed him to be a fraud, while the Korean martial arts community tried to come up with every excuse as to why he was deliberately excluded from the records.
That is until 2018 when Kondo Katsuyuki, then headmaster of the Daito Ryu mainline (now overseen by Kondo Masayuki), released the following page from Takeda Sokaku's official enrollment ledgers confirming that Choi did in fact attend at least one 10-day seminar in 1942. Of course, this is not the decades of training that Choi had claimed, but it shows that when an organization states "there's no record" of someone, they may or may not be telling the truth. In my opinion, over the next several years either more entries from Takeda's eimeroku will be released confirming Choi's training or we'll find evidence of him having studied with another instructor as his primary source of information. After all, he got his training somewhere.
And that's the point to remember. Every legitimate instructor, especially in the aiki arts to which Daito Ryu and its derivates belong, affirms that martial arts cannot be self-taught. It is impossible to reach any level of proficiency without the guidance and correction of a teacher. The higher the skill level one has attained, the more evidence of instruction there is. Unless we are willing to either say that you can indeed reach a high level of proficiency without a teacher or those who do are simply martial arts geniuses that should be venerated for generations to come, we must acknowledge that skill level and knowledge are forms of verification of lineage. Even within the same art, different branches will have different flavors, minute details left on the practitioner like fingerprints. Official certifications and licenses are essential in establishing legitimacy when it comes to recognizing an individual's rank or authority to teach, but the circumstances surrounding their validity (or existence) are not always as they seem...
That is until 2018 when Kondo Katsuyuki, then headmaster of the Daito Ryu mainline (now overseen by Kondo Masayuki), released the following page from Takeda Sokaku's official enrollment ledgers confirming that Choi did in fact attend at least one 10-day seminar in 1942. Of course, this is not the decades of training that Choi had claimed, but it shows that when an organization states "there's no record" of someone, they may or may not be telling the truth. In my opinion, over the next several years either more entries from Takeda's eimeroku will be released confirming Choi's training or we'll find evidence of him having studied with another instructor as his primary source of information. After all, he got his training somewhere.
And that's the point to remember. Every legitimate instructor, especially in the aiki arts to which Daito Ryu and its derivates belong, affirms that martial arts cannot be self-taught. It is impossible to reach any level of proficiency without the guidance and correction of a teacher. The higher the skill level one has attained, the more evidence of instruction there is. Unless we are willing to either say that you can indeed reach a high level of proficiency without a teacher or those who do are simply martial arts geniuses that should be venerated for generations to come, we must acknowledge that skill level and knowledge are forms of verification of lineage. Even within the same art, different branches will have different flavors, minute details left on the practitioner like fingerprints. Official certifications and licenses are essential in establishing legitimacy when it comes to recognizing an individual's rank or authority to teach, but the circumstances surrounding their validity (or existence) are not always as they seem...
