Takenouchi-ryu
Encyclopedia
is one of the oldest jujutsu
koryū
in Japan
. It was founded in 1532, the first year of Tenbun on the twenty-fourth of the sixth lunar month
by Takenouchi Chūnagon Daijō Nakatsukasadaiyū Hisamori, the lord of Ichinose Castle in Sakushū
. Although it is famous for its jūjutsu, Takenouchi Ryū is actually a complete system of martial arts
including armed grappling (yoroi kumiuchi), staff (bōjutsu
), sword (kenjutsu
), sword drawing (iaijutsu
), glaive (naginatajutsu
), iron fan (tessenjutsu
), restraining rope (hojōjutsu
), and resuscitation techniques (sakkatsuhō). Its jūjutsu techniques have been influential in the founding of many other schools in Japan. Takenouchi Ryū is still actively transmitted today by members of the Takenouchi family, as well as by other groups both within and outside of Japan.
(wooden sword) two shaku and four sun in length (about 2 ft. 4 in. or 72 cm), a relatively long weapon for his purportedly short stature. On the sixth night he fell asleep from exhaustion using his bokken as a pillow. He was woken by a mountain priest with white hair and a long beard who seemed so fearsome to Hisamori that he thought it must be an incarnation of the god Atago. Hisamori attacked the stranger, but was defeated. The priest said to him "When you meet the enemy, in that instant, life and death are decided. That is what is called hyōhō (military strategy)." He then took Hisamori's bokken, told him that long weapons were not useful in combat, and broke it into two daggers one shaku and two sun long. The priest told Hisamori to put these in his belt and call them kogusoku, and taught him how to use them in grappling and close combat
. These techniques became called koshi no mawari, literally "around the hips". The priest then taught Hisamori how to bind and restrain enemies with rope, using a vine from a tree. Then the priest disappeared mysteriously amidst wind and lightning.
Takenouchi Hisamori's second son Hitachinosuke Hisakatsu became the second head of Takenouchi Ryū after his father formally passed him the tradition at the age of 64. He and his successor and son Kaganosuke Hisayoshi added their own techniques to the curriculum, extending it into a complete sōgō bujutsu system.
for the various sections of jūjutsu taught, including toride (capturing and restraining), hade (attacking vital points unarmed), and kumiuchi (grappling). These unarmed kata are the best known of the Takenouchi Ryū jūjutsu, but they are not truly its foundation. As related in the establishment myth of the school, the central forms of jūjutsu in Takenouchi Ryū are the kogusoku koshi no mawari, techniques of armed grappling using the short sword kogusoku against armed opponents. It is upon this foundation that the rest of the jūjutsu techniques were developed by Hisakatsu and Hisayoshi, the second and third heads of the school.
Beyond the core of jūjutsu, many different weapons are taught. These include the sword, the staff, rope tying, the naginata, and more. The sword curriculum is divided into major sections, with kenjutsu covering basic swordsmanship against a similarly armed opponent, saide covering grappling with the sword, and iai covering the techniques of rapid sword drawing and striking. The staff is central to Takenouchi Ryū's study of movement, and as such forms an important part of the curriculum. Staff work addresses various lengths of staff, in particular bōjutsu for the six shaku staff and shinbō for a slightly shorter staff. Other sizes taught include jōjutsu for the common four shaku two sun staff, and hanbō for shorter sticks around three shaku in length. Rope restraints are an important adjunct to the arresting arts of toride, and the techniques of tying up opponents called hojōjutsu or hobaku are taught using the haya nawa which is a two shaku five sun rope, traditionally of a purple color.
Takenouchi Ryū is perhaps lesser known for its other weapons techniques, but as a true sōgō bujutsu it retains a number of weapons for use both on and off the battlefield. The naginata and kusarigama are covered, as well as the jutte truncheon, shuriken throwing darts, and the tessen iron fan. Some kata feature rather peculiar weapons intended to show the use of everyday objects for defense against sword attacks. These include the kasa, a Japanese style umbrella, and the nabebuta, a wooden lid for a cooking pot.
and aikidō
can be traced back to their roots in Takenouchi Ryū in one way or another.
A number of important jūjutsu koryū were founded by students of the school, such as the Rikishin Ryū, Fusen Ryū, and Sōsuishitsu Ryū, the Takagi Ryū and its branches (such as the Hontai Yōshin Ryū
, Takagi Ryū) and Araki Ryū to name a few. These ryūha have incorporated many techniques from Takenouchi Ryū either directly from the school or by analyzing the techniques of its exponents.
Takenouchi Ryū has documents by its founder on the use and teaching of rokushakubojutsu [6 feet (1.8 m) stick]. This makes it the oldest verifiable school to teach these skills and it is believed to have had a great influence on other arts teaching rokushakubojutsu. Other arts have long histories and claim to have been teaching rokushakubo, but so far no documents from the period have been found. It may be that these other schools added it later on to their teachings.
After the 8th headmaster, Takenouchi Tōichirō Hisataka, the lineage was split into two branches called the sōke and sōdenke lines. This was done to ensure that the blood line and tradition would be preserved. The first headmaster of the sōke lineage was Ikeuchi Gamonta, whose name was changed to Takenouchi Gamonta Hisayori when he was adopted into the Takenouchi family. The sōdenke lineage began with Takenouchi Tōjūrō Hisatane.
(now western Okayama Prefecture
). Note that the Bitchū Den pronounces the name as Takeuchi rather than Takenouchi.
The Bitchū Den lineage maintains the same curriculum with the addition of a few more techniques in certain areas. Although being cut off from the mainline for some time, practitioners of both the mainline and Bitchū Den have in recent times compared their techniques and found them to be essentially the same despite many generations of separation. This strongly attests to the successful transmission of this koryu over the years.
Bitchū Den lineage:
Dojo
Shōfukan 松風館, run by Anna Seabourne, located in the United Kingdom (West Yorkshire).
Gyōfukan 暁風館, run by Anthony Abry, located in the United States (Idaho). Training is currently suspended.
Seifukan 正風館, run by Wayne Muromoto, located in Hawaii.
Shōfukan 翔風館, started by Kei Ota and currently run by Alex Kask, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Study circles
Ryūfukai 龍風会, run by Andrew Antis, located in San Francisco.
There are no known dojo of the Soke and Sodenke lines outside of Japan.
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....
koryū
Koryu
is a Japanese word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as "old school" or "traditional school"...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was founded in 1532, the first year of Tenbun on the twenty-fourth of the sixth lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
by Takenouchi Chūnagon Daijō Nakatsukasadaiyū Hisamori, the lord of Ichinose Castle in Sakushū
Mimasaka Province
or was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today northeastern Okayama Prefecture. Mimasaka bordered Bitchū, Bizen, Harima, Hōki, and Inaba Provinces....
. Although it is famous for its jūjutsu, Takenouchi Ryū is actually a complete system of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
including armed grappling (yoroi kumiuchi), staff (bōjutsu
Bojutsu
, translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of using a staff weapon called bō which simply means "staff". Staffs are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by humankind. They have been in use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. Some techniques involve slashing,...
), sword (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...
), sword drawing (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...
), glaive (naginatajutsu
Naginatajutsu
is the Japanese martial art of wielding the . This is a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive. Most naginatajutsu practiced today is in a modernized form, a gendai budō, in which competitions also are held.-Debated origins:...
), iron fan (tessenjutsu
Tessenjutsu
is the martial art of the Japanese war fan, tessen. It is based on the use of the iron folding fan, which usually had eight or ten ribs. The use of the war fan in combat is mentioned in early Japanese legends. For example, Yoshitsune, a hero of Japanese legend, is said to have defeated an opponent...
), restraining rope (hojōjutsu
Hojojutsu
Hojōjutsu or Nawajutsu, is the traditional Japanese martial art of restraining a person using cord or rope.Encompassing many different materials, techniques and methods from many different schools, Hojojutsu is a quintessentially Japanese art that is a unique product of Japanese history and...
), and resuscitation techniques (sakkatsuhō). Its jūjutsu techniques have been influential in the founding of many other schools in Japan. Takenouchi Ryū is still actively transmitted today by members of the Takenouchi family, as well as by other groups both within and outside of Japan.
History
According to the Takenouchi Keisho Kogo Den, the document recording the establishment and development of the school, Takenouchi Hisamori retired to the mountains near the Sannomiya shrine to train his martial skills. He practiced there for six days and six nights, wielding a bokkenBokken
A bokken , "wood", and ken, "sword") , is a Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō...
(wooden sword) two shaku and four sun in length (about 2 ft. 4 in. or 72 cm), a relatively long weapon for his purportedly short stature. On the sixth night he fell asleep from exhaustion using his bokken as a pillow. He was woken by a mountain priest with white hair and a long beard who seemed so fearsome to Hisamori that he thought it must be an incarnation of the god Atago. Hisamori attacked the stranger, but was defeated. The priest said to him "When you meet the enemy, in that instant, life and death are decided. That is what is called hyōhō (military strategy)." He then took Hisamori's bokken, told him that long weapons were not useful in combat, and broke it into two daggers one shaku and two sun long. The priest told Hisamori to put these in his belt and call them kogusoku, and taught him how to use them in grappling and close combat
Close combat
*Close combat is a generic term for both Close Quarters Battle and Hand to hand combat.*Mêlée generally refers to disorganized close combat.*CQB is an acronym for Close Quarters Battle, such as that which occurs in urban warfare....
. These techniques became called koshi no mawari, literally "around the hips". The priest then taught Hisamori how to bind and restrain enemies with rope, using a vine from a tree. Then the priest disappeared mysteriously amidst wind and lightning.
Takenouchi Hisamori's second son Hitachinosuke Hisakatsu became the second head of Takenouchi Ryū after his father formally passed him the tradition at the age of 64. He and his successor and son Kaganosuke Hisayoshi added their own techniques to the curriculum, extending it into a complete sōgō bujutsu system.
Curriculum
Takenouchi Ryū is best known for its jūjutsu, over which it covers an extensive ground. Its unarmed jūjutsu techniques include tehodoki (grip breaking), ukemi (tumbling), nagewaza (throwing), kansetsuwaza (joint dislocation), atemi (striking weak points), shimewaza (choking), newaza (ground techniques), and kappō (resuscitation). These are combined to form kataKata
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....
for the various sections of jūjutsu taught, including toride (capturing and restraining), hade (attacking vital points unarmed), and kumiuchi (grappling). These unarmed kata are the best known of the Takenouchi Ryū jūjutsu, but they are not truly its foundation. As related in the establishment myth of the school, the central forms of jūjutsu in Takenouchi Ryū are the kogusoku koshi no mawari, techniques of armed grappling using the short sword kogusoku against armed opponents. It is upon this foundation that the rest of the jūjutsu techniques were developed by Hisakatsu and Hisayoshi, the second and third heads of the school.
Beyond the core of jūjutsu, many different weapons are taught. These include the sword, the staff, rope tying, the naginata, and more. The sword curriculum is divided into major sections, with kenjutsu covering basic swordsmanship against a similarly armed opponent, saide covering grappling with the sword, and iai covering the techniques of rapid sword drawing and striking. The staff is central to Takenouchi Ryū's study of movement, and as such forms an important part of the curriculum. Staff work addresses various lengths of staff, in particular bōjutsu for the six shaku staff and shinbō for a slightly shorter staff. Other sizes taught include jōjutsu for the common four shaku two sun staff, and hanbō for shorter sticks around three shaku in length. Rope restraints are an important adjunct to the arresting arts of toride, and the techniques of tying up opponents called hojōjutsu or hobaku are taught using the haya nawa which is a two shaku five sun rope, traditionally of a purple color.
Takenouchi Ryū is perhaps lesser known for its other weapons techniques, but as a true sōgō bujutsu it retains a number of weapons for use both on and off the battlefield. The naginata and kusarigama are covered, as well as the jutte truncheon, shuriken throwing darts, and the tessen iron fan. Some kata feature rather peculiar weapons intended to show the use of everyday objects for defense against sword attacks. These include the kasa, a Japanese style umbrella, and the nabebuta, a wooden lid for a cooking pot.
Takenouchi Ryū's influence
Takenouchi Ryū has exerted a strong influence in the development of jūjutsu. The branches of the Takenouchi Ryū have subsequently have influenced schools directly or indirectly and thus many techniques found in modern jūdōJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and aikidō
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
can be traced back to their roots in Takenouchi Ryū in one way or another.
A number of important jūjutsu koryū were founded by students of the school, such as the Rikishin Ryū, Fusen Ryū, and Sōsuishitsu Ryū, the Takagi Ryū and its branches (such as the Hontai Yōshin Ryū
Hontai Yoshin-ryu
is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts founded c.1660, by Takagi Shigetoshi. Some sources give Takagi's middle name as Setsuemon, while others give it as Oriemon....
, Takagi Ryū) and Araki Ryū to name a few. These ryūha have incorporated many techniques from Takenouchi Ryū either directly from the school or by analyzing the techniques of its exponents.
Takenouchi Ryū has documents by its founder on the use and teaching of rokushakubojutsu [6 feet (1.8 m) stick]. This makes it the oldest verifiable school to teach these skills and it is believed to have had a great influence on other arts teaching rokushakubojutsu. Other arts have long histories and claim to have been teaching rokushakubo, but so far no documents from the period have been found. It may be that these other schools added it later on to their teachings.
Lineage
As with any koryū, the lineage of Takenouchi Ryū is a matter of importance and pride to its members. Since the tradition was maintained in the family a careful account of the successive leaders of the school has been kept over the centuries.After the 8th headmaster, Takenouchi Tōichirō Hisataka, the lineage was split into two branches called the sōke and sōdenke lines. This was done to ensure that the blood line and tradition would be preserved. The first headmaster of the sōke lineage was Ikeuchi Gamonta, whose name was changed to Takenouchi Gamonta Hisayori when he was adopted into the Takenouchi family. The sōdenke lineage began with Takenouchi Tōjūrō Hisatane.
Bitchū Den
As well as the two divisions of the school given above, another lineage exists branching from the third head of the school. This lineage, called the Bitchū Den Takeuchi Ryū, developed through Takeuchi Seidaiyū Masatsugu who moved to Okayama, the capital of Bitchū ProvinceBitchu Province
was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of western Honshū, in what is today western Okayama Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bizen and Bingo Provinces. Bitchu bordered Hōki, Mimasaka, Bizen, and Bingo Provinces....
(now western Okayama Prefecture
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
). Note that the Bitchū Den pronounces the name as Takeuchi rather than Takenouchi.
The Bitchū Den lineage maintains the same curriculum with the addition of a few more techniques in certain areas. Although being cut off from the mainline for some time, practitioners of both the mainline and Bitchū Den have in recent times compared their techniques and found them to be essentially the same despite many generations of separation. This strongly attests to the successful transmission of this koryu over the years.
Bitchū Den lineage:
- 4. Takeuchi Seidaiyū Masatsugu.
- 5. Yamamoto Kazuemon Hisayoshi.
- 6. Shimizu Kichiuemon Kiyonobu.
- ...
- 14. Takeuchi Tsunaichi Masatori. Head of Nisshinkan dōjō.
- 15. Nakayama Kazuo Torimasa. Current head of Nisshinkan dōjō, second head of Okayama Daigaku College Kobudō Section.
- 16. Ono Yotaro Masahito. Head of Chōfūkan dōjō and Dōshisha Daigaku College Kobudō Section.
International branches of Takeuchi-ryu Bitchūden
There are two kinds of authorized training groups: dojo and study circles. Authorized dojo are usually headed by someone ranked Daigeiko or higher, have full teaching authority and limited authority to award rank. Study circles train with the permission of the head of Chōfukan Dojo, have limited teaching authority and no authority to award rank. As of February 2009 there are four international dojo and one study circle.Dojo
Shōfukan 松風館, run by Anna Seabourne, located in the United Kingdom (West Yorkshire).
Gyōfukan 暁風館, run by Anthony Abry, located in the United States (Idaho). Training is currently suspended.
Seifukan 正風館, run by Wayne Muromoto, located in Hawaii.
Shōfukan 翔風館, started by Kei Ota and currently run by Alex Kask, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Study circles
Ryūfukai 龍風会, run by Andrew Antis, located in San Francisco.
There are no known dojo of the Soke and Sodenke lines outside of Japan.
External links
- Bitchū-den Takeuchi Ryū at the Seifūkan dojo in Hawai‘i
- Takenouchi Ryū in the Koryu.com Guide to Classical Ryuha
- Takenouchi Ryu Ryufukai Takenouchi Ryu in San Francisco
- Bitchū-den Takeuchi-ryū at the Shōfūkan dōjō in Vancouver, Canada