The history of Motoha Yoshin Ryu
| Ryu-so | Takagi Oriemon Shigetoshi |
| 2nd | Takagi Umanosuke Shigesada |
| 3rd | Takagi Gennoshin Hideshige |
| 4th | Okuni Kihei Shigenobu |
| 5th | Okuni Yakuro Nobuyoshi |
| 6th | Okuni Tarodayu Tadanobu |
| 7th | Okuni Kihei Yoshisada |
| 8th | Okuni Yozaemon Yoshisada |
| 9th | Nakayama Jinnai Sadahide |
| 10th | Okuni Buzaemon Hidenobu |
| 11th | Nakayama Kazaemon Sadayoshi |
| 12th | Okuni Kamaji Hidetoshi |
| 13th | Yagi Ikugoro Hisayoshi |
| 14th | Ishiya (Ishitani) Takeo Masatsugu |
| 15th | Ishiya (Ishitani) Matsutaro Masaharu |
| 16th | Kakuno Hachiheita Masayoshi |
| 17th | Minaki Saburoji Masayoshi |
Hontai Yoshin Ryu-Takagi Ryu began in the Edo period originating in Oshu (present day Miyagi prefecture), then moving to the Shiroishi district (Okayama), then the Owari district (Nagoya), then the Tosa district (Koichi), and then finally to the Ako and Himeji districts (Hyogo). The ryu was especially prominent in the Himeji-han and Ako-han.
The founder of Hontai Yoshin Ryu-Takagi Ryu was Takagi Oriemon Shigetoshi (also recorded as Takagi Oriemon Shigenobu), whose childhood name was Umon. Umon was born on January the 2nd 1635, the 12th year of Kannei (although other sources claim the 2nd of April 1625).
He died on October the 7th in first year of Shotoku (1711). He was the second son of the Inatobi (or Inatomi) family, serving Katakura Kojuro, the Lord of the Shiroishi castle in Mutsu no Kuni.
According to the legend Umon's father was attacked in the dark and murdered. Umon later avenged his father and embracing his father's teaching of "Yoboku wa tsuyoku, Takagi ga oreruzoyo" (a willow tree is flexible, but a tall tree can be broken) he later renamed himself Yoshin Ryu Takagi Oriemon Shigetoshi. Takagi Oriemon was well known for his great physical strength and is still legendary in the former Shiroishi district.
In 1993 (the fifth year of Heisei) the 18th Soke of Hontai Yoshin Ryu Inoue Tsuyoshi Munetoshi and his students studied a grave located in former Shiroishi district and confirmed that the grave belonged to Oriemon. They performed kata at the spot in commemoration of the founder.
In the lineage of grandmasters the 2nd and 14th sokes were among the most famous. Takagi Umanosuke Shigesada, the 2nd soke, appears in Japanese legends as a kind and warm man as well as a great martial artist. He is famous for formulating one of the earliest styles of Jujutsu.
The 14th soke Ishiya Takeo Masatsugu, born 1845, was known as a master of masters in the Edo period. His most famous teachings are the words "1st eyes, 2nd speed, 3rd courage, 4th strength" and "Soft on the surface, strong on the inside". These two sayings remain chief teachings of Motoha Yoshin Ryu encouraging us to keep a calm heart as we continue training. He continued these teachings during his tenure as soke.
In 1980 Hontai Yoshin Ryu was chosen as one of the subjects for a series of documentaries on the existing schools of traditional martial arts. Currently in Japan there exist about 400 styles of martial arts but only a few styles have continued in an unbroken lineage into the present era.
Moto-ha Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu is a branch of the Hontai Yoshin Ryu-Takagi Ryu lineage and continues the original Takagi Ryu teachings of Minaki Saburoji and Kanazawa Ichizu. Soke Yasumoto Akiyoshi is the first Soke and founder (ryuso) of Motoha Yoshin Ryu.
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