Historical Preface

by Soke Sigfried Kobilza

Since I became independent from the Nakamura School of Takeda Budo at the end of the year 2005, the International Society for Takeda Budo (ISTB) has been the official worldwide

organization representing Takeda Ryu Kobilza Ha as an autonomous branch of Takeda Ryu focusing on the promotion of the Sobudo idea, in other words the comprehensive study and practice of all of a school’s martial disciplines.

With this new web site, the ISTB would like to provide the public with information about our budo practice, about the spirit and objectives of our school, its historical roots and its development. As one of the two pioneers who have been promoting and spreading Takeda Budo in Europe for many years, I am personally committed to continuing this work. I also want to make a contribution to promoting a better general understanding of budo and in particular increase the available knowledge about Takeda Budo. This web site will be an important tool in these efforts.

Up until now, the history of Takeda Budo, which is based on the spread of Takeda Ryu Nakamura Ha (a school derived from the tradition of the Kai Genji Takeda), outside of Japan has been the history of two very different individuals who were authorized as representatives of Takeda Ryu Nakamura Ha for Europe in the past: Roland Maroteaux from France, and me. It is also the very young history of two organizations that today represent two autonomous branches of Takeda Ryu, named Maroteaux Ha and Kobilza Ha, that are as different as their leaders.

Before these two branches of Takeda Ryu came into existence, Maroteaux and I were pioneers of the Nakamura School in Europe – Maroteaux for nine years from 1987 until 1996, and I for 17 years from 1988 until the end of 2005.

On this web site, you will find a chronological survey of historically relevant events from the first contacts until today.

I kindly ask for the reader’s understanding that we mainly focus on our own history here, the history of the ISTB and Takeda Ryu Kobilza Ha. I recommend that you check other group’s publications for more detailed information on them.

However, I wish to stress that we will particularly strive to present facts that can be proven by appropriate documents in order to give you an authentic and correct view of the development of Takeda Budo. Our most recent research has uncovered previously unknown facts that we will present here for the first time and that will enable you to better understand the development of Takeda Budo and its organizations, especially over the past twenty years in Europe.