User talk:Wavejay

== Hitohiro Saito ==

G'day. Long ago you mentioned on a talk page that Hitohiro was graded 6th dan Aikikai. Can you suggest where a source might be found for this, or even approximately what date it may have been? It is obviously highly notable (if the supposed heir of Iwama ryu may have been recognised by his father as still junior to at least two other Iwama ryu students) and is also controversial (I have seen it claimed that he never been awarded any grade, imitating how the person being groomed as the future doshu may be treated as already outside of the dan grading system, separate from students). Cesiumfrog (talk) 03:50, 5 May 2011 (UTC)

Greetings. The Aikikai society headquarted in Tokyo, Japan, would have a record of the ranks of all its members, which must have included Saito Hitohiro while he was still a member of Aikikai. However I doubt they would cooperate with a request to provide this information now that Hitohiro Sensei has founded his own martial art style of Aikido.

I would suggest as a more fruitfull pursuit of the lineage of Aikido using the following progression:

Start: Shinra Saburō Minamoto no Yoshimitsu of the Seiwa Genji-han, circa 12th century A.D.

Middle: Kai-Kenji Takeda Family, circa 17th century, A.D.

Late (released to general public): Takeda Sokaku (1859-1943, A.D.)

Wavejay (talk) 10:58, 21 July 2011 (UTC)