, or , is a Japanese martial art

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 the mid-17th century, notable for its 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...

, Iaijutsu

Iaijutsu

, the art of drawing the Japanese sword. One of Japanese martial disciplines in education of the classical warrior .-Etymology:"Iaijutsu" was known before the Tokugawa period but it is unclear exactly when the term "iaijutsu" first came into use, or when exactly drawing the katana from its...

, and Jujutsu

Jujutsu

Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....

, including the art of kyusho-jitsu

History

The founder of Sekiguchi ryu was Sekiguchi Yarokuemon Ujimune, also known as Sekiguchi Jushin. Jushin was part of the famous Seiwa Genji

Seiwa Genji

The ' were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Japanese Minamoto clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto Yoshiie, also known as "Hachimantaro", or God of War, and Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate, were descended...

 Imagawa family of the Sengoku Period. When the once powerful Imagawa family fell to the conquests of Oda Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga

was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...

, Jushin decided to dedicate his life to martial arts training. He left the castle for the Atago Mountains where he underwent intense physical and spiritual training. The result of that training became known as Sekiguchi ShinShin Ryu, and rumors of the wanderer and of his art rang throughout the country.

Tokugawa Yorinobu, head of the Kishu Han (modern day Wakayama Prefecture) had heard about Jushin and after meeting him Jushin was asked to be a permanent guest of the Han at Wakayama castle and teach Sekiguchi-ryū. From there the art spread all the way to Edo Tokugawa where the 8th Tokugawa Shogun

Shogun

A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...

, Tokugawa Yoshimune

Tokugawa Yoshimune

was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Lineage:...

, became a menkyo kaiden of Sekiguchi Ryu.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 many of the ryu

Ryu

* Ryū , a school of thought or discipline ., a book by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa* Ryū , a series by Masao Yajima and Akira Oze* Ryu , a common Korean family name...

's documents containing history and techniques were lost in fires from Allied bombing. After a 15-year pause in training, Yoshitaro, the 12th Sōke

Soke

The word soke has several meanings:* Soke , an early Western jurisdictional concept.* Soke or eke is a Tongan stick dance, originating from Wallis and Futuna., a Japanese title meaning "head of the family," and is usually used to denote the headmaster of a school of Japanese martial arts.* Soke of...

, with the help of head student Fujimura Shigeru restored the art and passed it on to the present soke, 13th generation, Sekiguchi Yoshio.