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Takeda Sōkaku
was known as the founder of a school of jujutsu known as Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. Life Born in the Aizu domain ( Fukushima Prefecture), Sōkaku grew up in the time of the Boshin War. The second son of Takeda Sōkichi, a samurai of the Takeda clan who worked his farm and taught at a local school in a Buddhist temple. His mother, Tomi Kurokochi, was a daughter of Dengoro Kurokochi, a Yari and Kenjutsu master. It is believed that Sōkaku received his first martial arts training from his father who had a dojo on their property. Sōkichi was apparently expert in the use of both sword and spear, and had once been a sumo wrestler of ozeki rank. It is believed that Sōkaku was exposed to the teachings of Hōzōin-ryū Takada-ha and Ono-ha Ittō-ryū, schools of spear and swordsmanship respectively. Sōkaku then left to go on a period of austere training where he travelled, fought and trained at the schools of many teachers, a not uncommon practise of the time. Reputedly, Sōka ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese People
The are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago."人類学上は，旧石器時代あるいは縄文時代以来，現在の北海道〜沖縄諸島（南西諸島）に住んだ集団を祖先にもつ人々。" () Japanese people constitute 97.9% of the population of the country of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 129 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 122.5 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live outside Japan are referred to as , the Japanese diaspora. Depending on the context, the term may be limited or not to mainland Japanese people, specifically the Yamato (as opposed to Ryukyuan and Ainu people). Japanese people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the world. In recent decades, there has also been an increase in the number of multiracial people with both Japanese and non-Japanese roots, including half Japanese people. History Theories of origins Archaeological evidence ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They had high prestige and special privileges such as wearing two swords and ''Kiri-sute gomen'' (right to kill anyone of a lower class in certain situations). They cultivated the '' bushido'' codes of martial virtues, indifference to pain, and unflinching loyalty, engaging in many local battles. Though they had predecessors in earlier military and administrative officers, the samurai truly emerged during the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1185 to 1333. They became the ruling political class, with significant power but also significant responsibility. During the 13th century, the samurai proved themselves as adept warriors against the invading Mongols. During the peaceful Edo period (1603 to 1868), they became the stewards and chamberlains of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinai
A is a Japanese sword typically made of bamboo used for practice and competition in ''kendo''. ''Shinai'' are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from ''kendo shinai'', and represented with different characters. The light, soft wood used in a ''shinai'' distinguishes it from other wooden swords such as a '' bokken'', which is generally made of heavier, sturdier wood. History The earliest use of a bamboo weapon to train with instead of a sword is credited to Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (1508-1572?) of the Shinkage-ryū. The modern ''shinai'', with four slats of bamboo, is generally credited to Nakanishi Chuzo Tsugutate (died 1801) of Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū. The ''shinai'' was developed in an effort to reduce the number of practitioners being seriously injured during practice, making a practice weapon that was less dangerous than , the hard wooden swords they were previously using. This is also the motivation behind the development of , the armour that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū
, often referred to simply as Jikishinkage-ryū or Kashima Shinden, is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship ('' kenjutsu''). The school was founded in the mid-16th century, based upon older styles of swordsmanship, and is one of the few ancient Japanese martial arts schools still existing today.Koryu Bujutsu: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan, volume 1 by Skoss, Diane (Editor). New Jersey Koryu Books 1997. . 2002. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hōzōin-ryū
is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of Japanese martial arts that specializes in the art of spearmanship (''sōjutsu''). Hōzōin-ryū was founded by Hōzōin Kakuzenbō In'ei (宝蔵院 覚禅房 胤栄, 1521–1607) in c. 1560. In'ei was a Buddhist monk of Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. He adored martial arts and trained in the art of swordsmanship. At the same time, he was coached and mentored by , a master of the spear. Under this master's guidance, In'ei honed his spearmanship. It is said that one evening, on seeing the reflection of the crescent moon shining on Sarusawa pond in Kōfuku-ji, he was inspired to create a spear with a cross-shaped spearhead. He imagined this style of spear would be more effective in fighting. With this new type of spear (known as ), he founded the Hōzōin-ryū. Later, the teachings of the Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu were passed down to other Buddhist monks of his order, with the next masters Hōzōin Inshun, Hōzōin Insei, Hōzōin Infū ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Makuuchi
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments. This is the only division that is featured on NHK's standard live coverage of sumo tournaments. The lower divisions are shown on their satellite coverage, with only the ''makuuchi'' broadcast having bilingual English commentary. ''Makuuchi'' literally means "inside the curtain", a reference to the early period of professional sumo, when there was a curtained-off area reserved for the top ranked wrestlers, to sit before appearing for their bouts. Wrestlers are considered for promotion or demotion in rank before each grand tournament according to their performance in the one previous. Generally, a greater number of wins than losses ('' kachi-koshi'') results in a promotion, and the reverse ('' make-koshi'') results in demotion. There are stricter crit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a '' rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring ('' dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down). Sumo originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally and where it is considered the national sport. It is considered a '' gendai budō'', which refers to modern Japanese martial arts, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto. Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as '' heya'', where all aspects of their daily lives—from meals to their manner of dress—ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dojo
A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the Way" in Japanese. History The word ''dōjō'' originates from Buddhism. Initially, ''dōjō'' were adjunct to temples and were formal training places for any of the Japanese arts ending in "''-dō''", from the Chinese '' Tao'' (or ''Dao''), meaning "way" or "path". Sometimes meditation halls where Zen Buddhists practice ''zazen'' meditation were called ''dōjō''. The alternative term '' zen-do'' is more specific, and more widely used. European '' Sōtō Zen'' groups affiliated with the International Zen Association prefer to use ''dōjō'' instead of ''zendo'' to describe their meditation halls as did their founding master, Taisen Deshimaru. In Japan, any facility for physical training, including professional wrestling, may be c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martial Arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage. Etymology According to Paul Bowman, the term ''martial arts'' was popularized by mainstream popular culture during the 1960s to 1970s, notably by Hong Kong martial arts films (most famously those of Bruce Lee) during the so-called " chopsocky" wave of the early 1970s. According to John Clements, the term '' martial arts'' itself is derived from an older Latin term meaning "arts of Mars", the Roman god of war, and was used to refer to the combat systems of Europe ( European martial arts) as early as the 1550s. The term martial science, or martial sciences, was commonly used to refer to the fighting arts of East Asia ( Asian martial arts) up until the 1970s, while the term ''Chinese box ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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