There are various schools of swordsmanship.There are also as many great swordsmen as there are schools of swordsmanship.
Why do people admire swordsmen?
There are many novels, manga, movies, and TV dramas about swordsmen such as Miyamoto Musashi, Yagyu Jubei, and Okita Soji.
In this way, the image of the swordsman has been created.
The best way to learn more about a swordsman is to learn about his school of swordsmanship.
It is no exaggeration to say that a person’s school of swordsmanship is his or her philosophy, and is an indication of his or her life itself.
I would like to discuss the origins of the seven Kanto ryu, the eight Kyo ryu, and the three great origin schools of swordsmanship.
Origin of Kenjutsu
The origins of swordsmanship are divided between the Kanto and Kansai regions.
The first two schools were the “Kanto Shichiryu” and the “Kyo Hachiryu.
These three schools are the pioneers of swordsmanship in Japan.
These schools are the origin of many of the existing styles of swordsmanship.
Kanto Shichiryu
Kanto Shichiryu (Kashima Shichiryu) is one of the oldest swordsmanship schools in Japan.
It is said that the Kofun period (probably around 440), a school developed by priests serving ancient gods.
It was born in Kashima, Hitachinokuni (present-day Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture) during the Kofun period.
The name comes from the fact that this style of swordsmanship was passed down through the families of seven priests who served the Kashima Shrine, which is located in this area, from generation to generation: Matsumoto, Yoshikawa, Kogamino, and Nukaga.
A man named Kuninazuno Mahito, who served as a priest at the Kashima Shrine, mastered a swordsmanship technique called “exorcism sword” handed down at the Kashima Shrine from ancient times, compiled the secret technique as “Shinmyouken” and handed it down to the priests’ families.
Since the swords of the time were straight and not warped, it is said that this swordsmanship was mainly used for thrusting and stabbing rather than cutting the opponent, or for cutting so as not to damage the warped sword blade.(This is a prediction, as it is an ancient swordsmanship technique, so it is not known what kind of technique it was.)
Kyohachiru
In the late Heian period (around 1160), seven hundred years after the birth of the seven Kanto schools, a new school was born in the Kansai region that became the pioneer of Japanese swordsmanship.It was the “Kyo Hachi Ryu.
While the seven styles of the Kanto region were practiced by priests, the Kyo Hachi-ryu style was taught to Buddhist monks.
The founder of the school is said to have been an Oniichi Hogen, an Onmyoji priest who is said to have lived in Ichijo Horikawa, Kyoto.
Hogen taught eight monks on Mt. Kurama in Kyoto, hence the name “Kyo Hachiryu” (the eight schools of Kyoto).
It is said that the famous “Minamoto no Yoshitsune” was one of these eight.Legend has it that Yoshitsune learned swordsmanship from a tengu, but it is thought that this tengu was actually Oniichi-Hogen, who may have learned the eight styles of Kyoto.
The details of Kyohachi Ryu are also unknown, but a school called “Yoshioka Ryu” remains as a descendant of that school.
It is well known that Musashi Miyamoto fought with the Yoshioka brothers, and this is the style that they used.
The Three Major Streams of Swordsmanship
The emergence of authentic Japanese swordsmanship styles dates back to the Muromachi period (1333-1573).
During the Muromachi period, “Nenryu,” “Tenshin Tensho Katori Shinto Ryu,” and “Inryu” were established, and with these three as the origin schools, swordsmanship developed greatly, giving rise to a number of schools in later generations.
It is said that all swordsmanship in Japan is derived from one of these three schools.
In some cases, the “Nakajo-ryu” founded by Nakajo Nagahide, a high disciple of Nenami Jien (the founder of Nenryu), is added to the list of the four major origin schools.
In the next chapter, I would like to summarize each of the three major origin schools of swordsmanship.
Nenryu
It is said that “Nenryu” was the first of the three major origin schools of swordsmanship.
The founder, Jien Nenami, is said to have developed Nenryu as he traveled around the country training in revenge.
The basic philosophy is said to be “the sword of self-defense.
Nenamijion
The name of the founder of Nenryu is “NenamiJion”.
He is said to be the first “master swordsman” in Japan, a figure from the Nanbokucho period to the Muromachi period (1336-1573).
Although he had been a devotee of Buddhism since his childhood, he could not shake the feeling that his father had been murdered when he was five years old, and he practiced swordsmanship day and night to avenge his father’s death, which he would one day do.
At the age of 10, he began traveling throughout Japan to hone his skills, learning techniques from various people throughout the country, and it is said that he learned the secrets of swordsmanship at Anrakuji Temple in Tsukushi, Kyushu, where he founded the Nenryu style.
At the age of 18, he is said to have returned to his former life and avenged his late father’s death.
After that, he entered Buddhist Buddhism again, continued to study swordsmanship, and traveled around the world teaching swordsmanship and the art of war.
Sword of Self-Defense
The characteristic of Nenryu is said to be “the sword of self-defense.
Higuchi Taro Kaneshige, one of Jien’s disciples, founded Higuchi Nenryu, which is now inherited as Umaga Nenryu.
The doctrines of “Umaniwa Nenryu” are “Gote Hissatsu” and “Thorough Defense”, which are the principles of swordsmanship that can be applied to all aspects of life.
It is not about fighting, but about using the sword to protect oneself and to help others.
Nenryu was not only open to samurai, but also to peasants and townspeople.
In this way, Nenryu has been handed down as a swordsmanship to protect oneself.
Tai-tyu-ken(体中剣)
In Nenryu, there are many stances in which the body is placed on the ground as if roots have grown out of the body, the body is seen as the trunk of a tree, and the sword is used as if it were a single branch.
This is called “tai-chu-ken” (体中剣) and is said to be a secret of Nenryu.
In this stance, you not only catch the opponent’s sword strike, but also move to attach your sword to the opponent’s sword just before the opponent strikes out.
In this way, he neutralizes the opponent’s attack, and then turns to slash at the opponent.
By reading the opponent’s movement, in other words, by taking his “shin,” you can control his movement without putting any effort into it.
kata(form) training
No matter how defensive a sword may be, it cannot protect without the power to completely control the opponent.
The defensive sword of Nenryu becomes possible only with experience and athleticism gained through repeated training.
The first thing to learn in Nenryu is the Omote-Gobon no Kata, which consists of five techniques: Joryaku(上略), Churyaku(中略), Geryaku(下略), Bukou(武構), and Gassho(合掌).
Through repeated practice of these five Omote-Gohon(表五本) kata, students develop the three elements of “body building,” “hand tightness,” and “kiai.
The posture of Nenryu is unique in that the center of gravity is often placed behind the body.
This is said to support the body with the lower body to catch the opponent’s movement and to provide a foundation for further attacks.
In Nenryu training, the most important thing is to build the lower half of the body.
Derived Schools
Nenryu is a school that is also the source of various swordsmanship styles, and many of its disciples have inherited its doctrines and established their own schools.
A representative example is “Maniwa Nenryu,” whose doctrines are still strongly reflected today.One of his disciples, Higuchi Taro Kaneshige, founded this swordsmanship school.
Nakajo-ryu, which is considered as one of the four major origin schools, was also founded by Nakajo Chohide, one of the disciples of Nenryu.
The “Tomita-ryu” school succeeded Tsyujo-ryu, and it is said that Sasaki Kojiro, a famous rival of Miyamoto Musashi, studied in this school.
From Tomita-ryu, there are Itto-ryu by Ito Ittosai, Kanemakii Jisai’s Kanemaki ryu, and Sasaki Kojiro’s Ganryu.
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu
This school was born in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) at Katori Jingu, the “sacred place of swords”.
It is a comprehensive martial art that includes swordsmanship, spearmanship, polemanship, jujutsu, and all other martial arts.
The “Kanto Shichiryu” based on the “Kashima no Tachi” developed at Kashima Shrine, and the “Tensho Tenjin Katori Shinto Ryu” developed by a man named Iizakicho Chouisai, were fused and systematized into a single style.
Kashima and Katori are therefore regarded as the “birthplace of swordsmanship.
Iizaki Chouisai Ienao
Iizakicho Chouisai Ienao was the founder of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu and the systematizer of the Kashima and Katori swords.He was also the foundation of the later schools of swordsmanship, spearmanship, and long swordsmanship.
From a samurai background, he was a renowned warrior who had been skilled in the martial arts since his childhood, and had served the Chiba clan, a feudal lord and the 8th Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, as an official.
However, when his master committed suicide, Chouisai realized the fleeting nature of life as a samurai and realized that “martial arts are not for shedding blood and killing each other,” and devoted himself to training not to fight but to master the secrets of the sword.
He devoted himself to training not for fighting, but to mastering the secrets of swordsmanship.
He combined the profound secrets of the sword of Kashima Shrine and Katori Shrine to create “Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu”.
Tenshinsho” is the general name for both Kashima and Katori Shrines.
Win without fighting
The ultimate principle of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu is “to win without fighting.
Chouweisai’s philosophy is “Heiho is Heiho,” or “He who wins over the enemy is the best, and he who strikes the enemy is second.
In other words, one should not use the art of war without reason.
There is an episode called “Kumazasa no taisen.
Whenever Chouisai was challenged to a match, he always responded by sitting on the kuma-zasa bamboo planted in his garden.
When he was challenged to a match by another player, he would always respond to the challenge from his position on the kuma-zasa bamboo plant that grew in his garden.
It is said that even now, six hundred years after its founding, few of his students have lost or taken their lives.
18 martial arts(武芸十八般)
The distinctive feature of this school is that it is a comprehensive martial art that encompasses not only swordsmanship but also spearmanship, iai, jujutsu, stick fighting, naginata, shurikenjutsu, and military science, including military tactics, castle construction, and yin-yang qigaku, or “the 18 martial arts.
I believe that the influence of the times had a great impact on the development of this school.
Chouweisai lived during the Sengoku period (1467-1568).
In other words, the spear was a mainstream weapon during the Warring States period, and the need for this technique was high.
Another factor may be that Katori Jingu Shrine was the birthplace of spearsmanship in the Nanbokucho Period.
Kata(Form) Characteristics
The kata strongly reflect the two points: “to be able to respond flexibly” and “to prevent martial artists of other schools from realizing the intention of their techniques.
Because they are designed with the battlefield in mind, each kumitachi, including the basic kata “Omote no tachi,” is extremely long, and its movements are swift, violent, and complex.
This is probably to cultivate the ability to respond instantly in any situation.
In many cases, the kumitachi is used as a stopping blow to the neck, flanks, wrists, and lower thighs.
The dizzying movements used to conceal the true technique are called kuzushi.
By learning these kuzushi techniques in addition to regular kata practice, one can perfect the technique as a winning technique that can be used in any situation.
Derived Schools
Similarly, there are many schools derived from Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.
One of the most famous is “Tennen Rishin-ryu,” which was the core of the Shinsengumi.
The Shinsengumi had other prestigious schools such as Hokushin Itto-ryu and Shindo-Munen-ryu, but it is said that most of the Shinsengumi learned from this “Tennen Rishin-ryu.
The other is probably the Shinmuso-ryu, which is famous for iai and battoujutsu.
This school systematized the art of iai, which is practiced from a seated position with the sword sheathed, as opposed to swordsmanship, which is practiced from a standing position.
The technique called “Manjinuke” is said to have been able to pull out a long sword in its scabbard as fast as a normal-length sword.
Inryu(陰流)
The last of the three major origin schools is Inryu.
It is also the last of the three major origin schools to be created.
Compared to the other two schools, it has a stronger sense of freedom, as its main point is the movement of small animals.
Now let’s take a look at the last of the three origin schools.
Aisuikousai(愛洲移香斎)
It is said that “Aisuikosai,” the founder of the Inryu style, was originally a pirate.
It is written that “Ikosai traveled to Kyushu, Kanto, and even Ming Dynasty when he was young.
He was a good swordsman from his childhood, and when he grew up, he began training as a warrior, traveling around the country to master the art of war.
However, when he traveled to Kyoto, he was painfully defeated in a match against the Sumiyoshi-ryu school.
To avenge his defeat, he went to Hyuga (Miyazaki Prefecture), where he spent his days in the caves of Udo Shrine, praying to Marishiten, the patron god of Buddhism, to open his eyes to the art of war.
After completing his training, he fought again against the Sumiyoshi-ryu and successfully won his revenge, which made him famous and led him to found the “Inryu” school.
Spider teaches us
It is said that a strange thing happened during ascetic training in the cave of Udo Shrine in Kyushu.
As Ikosai continued his ascetic training, a spider descended from the ceiling, trailing a thread.
When he tried to strike it with his fan, it landed on his hand.
If he tried to strike to the right, he was evaded to the left; if he tried to strike to the left, he was evaded to the right; and when he drew his fan, it stopped on Ikosai’s forehead.
When Ikosai saw the spider’s transforming movements, he realized something, and the god who had been incarnated as a spider appeared as an old man and gave him the secrets of the art of war.
Ikosai, who saw the profound secrets in the spider, called the Inryu a transformable sword.
Philosophy of Inryu
The philosophy of Inryu is that it boils down to two points: the wait and the front and back.
There are three levels of techniques: shote, chute, and Kyokui.
Hatsudate includes five training steps, including standing, looking, and footwork called “Gyoku-ho,” in which one moves freely like a ball in all directions.
In the middle te, he reminds the practitioner not to be timid: “Keep your eyes on the enemy’s tachi strike and make it look like a clear mirror,” and “Be single-minded, single-minded, single-sighted, and undaunted.
The Kyokui explains, “It is difficult to win if even one of the three elements (mind, eye, and left foot) is not in accord with each other.
Transformable Sword
The Kyokui of Inryu is to fuse and unite the “Ki,” which is the opponent’s intention to take action, and the “Shinkiki,” which is the perception of the opponent’s action and the response to it, and to respond with exquisite techniques that are ever changing and ever evolving in order to conquer the opponent.
This idea is called “Marobashi,” and it is the basic philosophy of Inryu, and later of Shinkage-ryu, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, and other forms of Onryu that have developed from its roots.
It was the natural movements of small animals such as spiders, monkeys, and swallows that opened the eyes to the art of Kyokui.
Both spiders and monkeys are treated as messengers of Marishiten.
Derived Schools
Although the Inryu itself disappeared with the passing of time, the schools that later came to be known as Inryu became a major force in the Japanese art of swordsmanship.
Among the three major schools of military arts, the most prosperous in later times were the schools that followed the Inryu style.
Among the most famous schools that followed the Inryu tradition, Kamiizumi Isenokami Nobutsuna founded the Shikage-ryu style, and Yagyu Sekishusai Sogon founded the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu style.
The activities of Yagyu Jubei, grandson of Bokuden and Sogon, are often featured in sword fiction and historical dramas.
Numerous other schools have also been created in the In-ryu style.
summary
What I have come to understand in this summary is that a school = a life = a way of life.
It seems to me that the cultivation of one’s swordsmanship is a process of self-discovery and self-building.
It is said that martial arts are not only about honing one’s skills, but also about aiming for human perfection through the practice of martial arts.
In this day and age, we do not have the opportunity to look at ourselves in this way, so I think it is a very good thing to try martial arts.
I too would like to do sword fighting with this martial arts or wushu aspect while sword fighting is an act. I want to live my life always seeking human growth.
I hope that swordfighting is likewise a “tate-do” and that swordfighting is not just a skill, but one of the ways to achieve human perfection through swordfighting.
For this issue, we used the book “Kengo no Ryuha: Takarajimasya” as a reference.Thank you very much.
