is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts

Japanese martial arts

Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": , literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like science,...

 founded in 1368 CE by the samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 Sōma Shiro Yoshimoto (c.14th century) in modern day Nagano Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...

, where Yoshimoto is said to have taught only fourteen students until his death.

Teachings

The school taught primarily the art of using the katana (kenjutsu

Kenjutsu

, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration...

), and it is a root art of many other koryū schools of swordsmanship, including Shinkage-ryū

Shinkage-ryu

' meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna in the mid-sixteenth century...

, Chujō-ryū

Chujo-ryu

Chujō-ryū is a koryū martial art founded in the 14th century by Chujō Nagahide, who studied under Nenami Okuyama Jion and his Nen-ryū style of swordsmanship.-History:...

, and Ittō-ryū

Itto-ryu

, meaning "one-sword school", is the ancestor school of several Japanese Koryū kenjutsu styles, including Ono-ha, Mizoguchi-ha, Nakanishi-ha, Kogen, Hokushin, and Itto Shoden. The style was developed by Ittōsai Kagehisa.-Ono-ha Ittō-ryū:...

. It has been known as Maniwa Nen-ryū

Maniwa Nen-ryu

Maniwa Nen-ryū is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts founded in 1591 by Higuchi Matashichirō . Matashichirō was a student of Nen-ryū, and founded Maniwa Nen-ryū after receiving inka from Akamatsu Gion...

 since 1591, when it was named as such by Higuchi Matashichiro.

Later history and legacy

Yoshimoto eventually joined the Jufuku-ji, taking the Buddhist name , , before traveling to teach in Okinawa. Today, many traditional schools of karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

, including Shotokan

Shotokan

is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...

, practice a kata

Kata

is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....

named "Jion" after him. Yoshimoto is also frequently credited with founding the martial art of Isshin-ryū kusarigamajutsu

Isshin-ryu kusarigamajutsu

is a traditional school of the Japanese martial art of kusarigamajutsu, the art of using the chain and scythe . Its exact origin is disputed, and may have been founded as early as the 14th century by the samurai Nen Ami Jion 念阿弥慈恩 , but the modern-day techniques were compiled and incorporated no...

, but this may not be literally true. Some historians believe that Tan Isshin (c.17th century), who may have studied Maniwa Nen-ryū with Yui Shōsetsu

Yui Shosetsu

Yui Shōsetsu was a military strategist, and leader of the unsuccessful 1651 Keian Uprising. Though a commoner, and thus not officially of the samurai class, Yui was known as one of the "Three Great Ronin" along with Kumazawa Banzan and Yamaga Sokō.Born in Sunpu to humble origins, Yui is said to...

(1605–1651), was the true founder of Isshin-ryū kusarigamajutsu. They believe that he was inspired by Yoshimoto's teachings and chose to credit him as the founder of the art to honor him.