Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū
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Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of
Tōyō kanji Toyo may refer to: Places *Tōyō, Kōchi, a town in Japan *Tōyo, Ehime, a former city in Japan *Toyo Province, a Japanese province divided in 683 * Tōyō, Kumamoto, a village located in Yatsuhiro District, Kumamoto, Japan * Tōyō, Tokyo, ...
.
is one of the oldest extant
Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usage ...
, and an exemplar of '' bujutsu''. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by
Iizasa Ienao was the founder of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū which is a traditional ('' koryū'') Japanese martial art. His Buddhist posthumous name is ''Taiganin-den-Taira-no-Ason-Iga-no-Kami-Raiodo-Hon-Daikoji''.''Deity and the Sword, Vol 1 p. 16-17 ...
, born in 1387 in Iizasa village (modern Takomachi, Chiba Prefecture), who was living near
Katori Shrine The is a Shintō shrine in the city of Katori in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Shimōsa Province, and is the head shrine of the approximately 400 Katori shrines around the country (located primarily in the Kantō ...
( Sawara City,
Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
) at the time. The '' ryū'' gives 1447 as the year it was founded, but some scholars state that it was about 1480.The year 1387 is given as Iizasa's birth year in ''Deity and the Sword'', Vol 1 pp. 16–17. Watatani (1967) speculates that 1417–1420 is correct.


History


Foundation

Iizasa Ienao was the founder of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū which is a traditional ('' koryū'') Japanese martial art. His Buddhist posthumous name is ''Taiganin-den-Taira-no-Ason-Iga-no-Kami-Raiodo-Hon-Daikoji''.''Deity and the Sword, Vol 1 p. 16-17 ...
(飯篠 長威斎 家直 ''Iizasa Chōi-sai Ienao'', c.1387 – c.1488) was a respected spearman and
swordsman Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...
whose ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...
'' was deposed, encouraging him to relinquish control of his household to conduct purification rituals and study martial arts in isolation.Amdur, Ellis (2002). ''Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions'', Edgework, p. 21–45 Iizasa was born in the village of Iizasa in
Shimōsa Province was a province of Japan in the area modern Chiba Prefecture, and Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shimōsa''" in . It lies to the north of the Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島), whose name takes its first ''kanji'' from ...
. When he was young, he moved to the vicinity of the famous Katori Shrine, a venerable
Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
institution northeast of Tokyo in modern-day
Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...
. The Katori Shrine enjoys a considerable martial reputation; the Shrine's
Kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
,
Futsunushi , also known as , is a warrior god in Japanese mythology. Also known under the epithet Katori Daimyōjin () after his shrine in northern Chiba Prefecture (historical Shimōsa Province), Katori Jingū, he is often revered alongside Takemikazuchi ...
being revered as a spirit of swordsmanship and martial arts. After studying swordsmanship he went to Kyoto, where, according to most authorities, he was employed in his youth by the eighth
Muromachi The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
,
Ashikaga Yoshimasa Ashikaga (足利) may refer to: * Ashikaga clan (足利氏 ''Ashikaga-shi''), a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Minamoto clan; and that formed the basis of the eponymous shogunate ** Ashikaga shogunate (足利幕府 ''Ashikaga bakufu''), a ...
(1436–1490), a devotee of the martial arts. Iizasa was later known as Yamashiro no Kami (governor of
Yamashiro Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai. It overlaps the southern part of modern Kyoto Prefecture on Honshū. Aliases include , the rare , and . It is classified as an upper province in the ''Engishiki''. Yamashiro Province included Kyoto its ...
) in accordance with a practice of Muromachi times, whereby noted warriors took old court titles. Later on in his life, Iizasa became a Buddhist lay monk and was known as Chōi-sai, ''sai'' being a character that many noted swordsmen chose for their martial name. When Chōi-sai returned home, he offered prayers to the deities of both Katori Shrine and
Kashima Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is dedicated to , one of the patron deities of martial arts. Various dōjō of '' kenjutsu'' and '' kendō'' often display a hanging scroll emblazoned ...
, the latter being a famous local shrine in nearby
Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
, where shrine officials themselves reputedly practised a form of swordsmanship, called 'Hitotsu no Tachi' (the solitary sword). Even today the Kashima Shrine training hall attracts
Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...
practitioners from around the world, and the chief object of interest for visitors is the shrine's sacred sword. Supplementing his considerable skills with assorted weaponry, Chōi-sai was also an expert in Musō Jikiden ryū ''yawaragi'', holding the position of seventh Headmaster in the history of that ryū. ''Yawara'' or ''yawaragi'' is an older term for
jūjutsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...
, unarmed combat, of that period. Contrast with modern jujutsu, ''yawara'' was mostly grappling while wearing armour.
Legend says at the age of 60 Chōi-sai spent 1000 days in Katori Shrine practicing martial techniques day and night, until the ''
kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
'' of the shrine,
Futsunushi , also known as , is a warrior god in Japanese mythology. Also known under the epithet Katori Daimyōjin () after his shrine in northern Chiba Prefecture (historical Shimōsa Province), Katori Jingū, he is often revered alongside Takemikazuchi ...
(経津), appeared to him in a dream and handed down the secrets of martial strategy in a scroll named ''Mokuroku Heiho no Shinsho''. He called his swordsmanship style derived from this miraculous dream the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, the "Heavenly True, Correctly Transmitted Style of the Way of the God of Katori". This legend is typical of martial arts ryū and other cultural forms as well. Ryū founders often attributed their mastery to magical teachings transmitted by Shinto or Buddhist deities, by long-dead historical figures like
Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...
, or by legendary supernatural creatures such as the ''
tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion (Shinto). They are considered a type of '' yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and ...
'', Japanese
goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on ...
s commonly depicted with a long red nose. Iizasa's Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, thus presumably linked to the sacred tradition of both Katori and Kashima Shrines, was transmitted through his own family.


Headmasters

# Iizasa Yamashiro-no-Kami (later Iga-no-Kami) Ienao Choisai, died 15 April 1488 # Iizasa Wakasa-no-Kami Morichika # Iizasa Wakasa-no-Kami Morinobu # Iizasa Yamashiro-no-Kami Moritsuna # Iizasa Saemon-no-Jo Morihide # Iizasa Oi-no-Kami Morishige # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morinobu # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morinaga # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morihisa # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morisada # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morishige # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Moritsugu # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morikiyo # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Nagateru # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Moriteru # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morishige (Kan-Rikusai), died 11 July 1853, at 78 years of age # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morifusa, died 4 January 1854, at 51 years of age # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Morisada, participated in the
Mito Rebellion The , also called the Kantō Insurrection or the , was a civil war that occurred in the area of Mito Domain in Japan between May 1864 and January 1865. It involved an uprising and terrorist actions against the central power of the Shogunate in fav ...
against the shogunate, died 2 June 1896, at 56 years of age # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Kinjiro, died in 1943 # Iizasa Shuri-no-Suke Yasusada (current) In 1896, the 18th
sōke , pronounced , is a Japanese term that means "the head family ouse" In the realm of Japanese traditional arts, it is used synonymously with the term ''iemoto''. Thus, it is often used to indicate "headmaster" (or sometimes translated as "head of ...
died without a male heir. Yamaguchi Eikan
shihan is a Japanese term that is used in many Japanese martial arts as an honorific title for expert or senior instructors. It can be translated as "master instructor". The use of the term is specific to a school or organization, as is the process of ...
governed the ryu until his death 14 March 1917. Until Iizasa Kinjiro married into the Iizasa household, the following eight shihan headed the ryu: * Tamai Kisaburo * Shiina Ichizo * Ito Tanekichi * Kuboki Sazaemon * Isobe Kohei * Motomiya (Hongu) Toranosuke * Hayashi Yazaemon (1882–1964) * Kamagata Minosuke


Recent history

Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū is the source tradition of many
Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usage ...
. Several famous swordsmen (including
Tsukahara Bokuden was a famous swordsman of the early Sengoku period. He was described as a '' kensei'' (sword saint). He was the founder of a new Kashima style of kenjutsu, and served as an instructor of Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ise provincial governor ...
and Matsumoto Bizen no kami Masanobu) who learned directly from Chōi-sai or his immediate followers became founders of their own schools, with either the same name (Shintō, written with a variety of other characters) or different names:
Kashima Shintō-ryū is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded by Tsukahara Bokuden in the Muromachi period (c.1530). Due to its formation during the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai, a time of feudal war, the school's techniques are based on ...
(Bokuden-ryū), Kashima-ryū, Kashima shin-ryū (founded by Matsumoto), Arima-ryū, Ichiu-ryū, Shigen-ryū, and others. Iizasa devised a unique method to ensure warriors could train without serious injury and yet maintain a resemblance to 'riai' (integrity of principle) and combative reality. The weapon training of the ryū, in the form of
kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised ...
-bujutsu (pre-arranged, combative training drills), illustrates this well. What appears to the outsider as merely a block of the opponent's attacking weapon is, in actuality, only a substitute for the part of the attacker's body intended to be cut or struck. Thus, full impact training could be maintained with safety to the practitioners. Thereby, he extended the training of his students to the use of other weapon systems as well, in order to be totally familiar with their capabilities and not be surprised on the battlefield by something unexpectedly different. The uniqueness of Iizasa's Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū is still evident today, in the particular aspects of weapon-wielding, posture, stance, and foot and body movements which make allowance for the fact that the bushi (classical
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 h ...
warriors) of his era would be wearing ' yoroi' (armour) weighing around 35 kg, and fighting on uneven terrain. These factors tend to keep the wearer's feet firmly and flat on the ground, and slow down mobility considerably. The distinctive techniques and tactics of this ryū also acknowledge the design of classical Japanese armour, which, although protecting the wearer well, had many 'suki' (openings). The main attacking areas included: under the wrists; inside and behind the legs; the hip area; the space between the '
kabuto ' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors which, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Note that in the Ja ...
' (helmet) and ' ' (chest protector) where the neck arteries and veins could be easily severed. The signature, 'omote' (basic-battlefield) sword technique of the ryū, 'makiuchi-jodan', was created by Iizasa because the bushi could not raise the sword above the head due to the obstruction of the kabuto, and secondly, notwithstanding that restriction, a very powerful 'chopping' blow from above was still needed to be generated in order to produce the maximum destructive force for when circumstances dictated attacking areas of the 'yoroi' other than the 'suki'. On 6 March 1960 (昭和35年6月3日), the school received the first ever "Intangible Cultural Asset" designation given to a martial art by the Japanese government, naming Hayashi Yazaemon, Ōtake Risuke, and Iizasa Yasusada as its guardians. The Iizasa family dojo was also designated a Cultural Asset. The designation of Cultural Asset status shifted to the Chiba Prefectural Government in 1985 and the art was recertified, again naming Ōtake Risuke and Iizasa Yasusada as guardians. Ōtake Nobutoshi and Kyōsō Shigetoshi were also certified as guardians on 30 March 2004 (平成16年3月30日). The school claims to have never aligned itself with any estate or faction, no matter what stipend was offered. This allowed the ''ryū'' to maintain its independence and integrity. Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was popularised in the west by the extensive research and writings of late Donn F. Draeger (1922–1982). The current, twentieth generation
headmaster A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the teacher, staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school ...
, is Iizasa Yasusada (飯篠 修理亮 快貞 ''Iizasa Shūri-no-suke Yasusada''). He does not teach his family's system and had instead appointed as his main representative instructor Risuke Ōtake who has a personal dojo close to Narita City. Upon Ōtake Risuke's retirement, he announced his eldest son Nobutoshi would replace him as Shihan and his younger son Shigetoshi would support him as shihan-dai . Kyōsō Shigetoshi was appointed shihan in September 2017, and Ōtake Nobutoshi was issued hamon (excommunicated) on 9 December 2018. However, both Otake Risuke, Otake Nobutoshi and Kyōsō Shigetoshi are still recognised as guardians of the school, by the Chiba Prefecture Board of Cultural Affairs.


Gallery

Kenjyutsu-2.jpg, Meiji Shrine annual festival dedication Tenshin Shinden Katori Shinto (3 November 2011) Kenjyutsu-2a.jpg, Same as left, Tenshin Shinden Katori Shinto (3 November 2011) Kenjyutsu-2b.jpg, Same as left, Tenshin Shinden Katori Shinto (3 November 2011)


Curriculum

The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū is a comprehensive martial system. This means that unlike modern martial ways such as
kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...
or
iaido , abbreviated , is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports ...
, which concentrate on one specific area of training, study is made of a broad range of martial skills.Skoss, Diane (editor) (1999). ''Sword & Spirit, Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan'', Koryu Books, vol 2, p. 67–69. The main emphasis of the school is
kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...
(sword techniques). A wide range of other weapons are being taught as part of the curriculum, but the sword remains the central weapon. The primary curriculum includes:Ōtake, Risuke (2007). ''Katori Shinto-ryu: Warrior Tradition''. Koryu Books. p 61. The Gogyo and Gokui kata are only taught to advanced practitioners after many years of fundamental practice. Other, more advanced areas of study of the school include: *''Ninjutsu'' (intelligence gathering and analysis) *''Chikujojutsu'' (field fortification art) *''Gunbai-Heihō'' (strategy and tactics) *''Tenmon Chirigaku'' (
Chinese astrology Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. Chinese astrology came to flourish during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy (theory of the ...
and geomantic divination) *''In-Yo kigaku'' (philosophical and mystical aspects derived from
Mikkyō is a Japanese term for the Vajrayana practices of Shingon Buddhism and the related practices that make up part of the Tendai and Kegon schools. There are also Shingon and Tendai influenced practices of Shugendō. Mikkyō is a "lineage traditio ...
, specifically
Shingon Buddhism Shingon monks at Mount Koya is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. K ...
)


Keppan

Historically, before beginning any training in Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, every prospective pupil had to sign an oath of allegiance to the school. The method was to make ''keppan'' (blood oath) in support of the following ''kisho'' or ''kishomon'' (pledge). This oath was a written one with the prospective member being required to sign his name in his own blood. The applicant would prick or cut a finger or sometimes the inner arm and with the blood drawn, sign the following pledge: Ōtake, Risuke (2007). ''Katori Shinto-ryu: Warrior Tradition'', Koryu Books. (A total revamp of ''The Deity and the Sword'', combining all 3 volumes into one re-translated and edited book with additional material. However, with far fewer photographs per kata as compared to the original 3 volumes. Similarly, all the original English explanatory notes and guidelines relating to each of the kata have been removed.)
On becoming a member of the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū which has been transmitted by the Great Deity of the Katori Shrine, I herewith affirm my pledge that: #I will not have the impertinence to discuss or demonstrate details of the ''ryū'' to either non-members or members, even if they are relatives; #I will not engage in altercations or misuse the art against others; #I will never engage in any kind of gambling nor frequent disreputable places. #I will not cross swords with any followers of other martial traditions without authorization. I hereby pledge to firmly adhere to each of the above articles. Should I break any of these articles I will submit to the punishment of the Great Deity of Katori and the Great Deity Marishiten. Herewith I solemnly swear and affix my blood seal to this oath to these Great Deities.
Marishiten is originally the Brahman figure of
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. In later Chinese Buddhist mythology she became the heavenly queen who lives in one of the stars of the Great Bear. She is mostly depicted with eight arms, two of which are the symbols of the sun and the moon. Most Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū variants headed by instructors other than Risuke Ōtake do not require keppan. However, Risuke Ōtake regarded the keppan as a strict requirement for all candidates seeking entrance into his school in order to preserve the secrecy and integrity of the ryū's teachings. Even so, students joining his various overseas branches readily receive instruction from the local instructors until such time as they may be able to travel to Ōtake's dojo to take keppan. Additional opportunities arise should an overseas dojo be visited by one of the school's senior instructors who has been authorised to take keppan from those members wishing so to do. This was the case in 2007, and again in 2009 when Kyōsō Shigetoshi, younger son of Risuke Ōtake, held an open European seminar and existing participants of varying levels of expertise from the different organisations were invited to take keppan.


Branches

The mainline of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū is currently represented by the Kyōsō Shibu led by Kyōsō Shigetoshi, Ōtake Risuke's younger son. The honbu dojo is located at Iizasa Yasusada's home near the Katori shrine and is used by branches in good standing on special occasions. The Kyōsō Shibu regularly trains out of the Shisui Town Community Plaza and the Matsuyamashita Koen Sports Gymnasium in Inzai City. Several branches have existed alongside or split from the mainline with varying ties to the Iizasa family. *Shinbukan Dojo – The Shinbukan Dojo in Narita was built by Ōtake Risuke and represented the mainline of the ryū for over fifty years.Before Ōtake Risuke retired as shihan, he named Otake Nobutoshi as his successor and continued to oversee instruction in the Shinbukan which was led by Otake Nobutoshi, until his death in 2021. Otake Nobutoshi continues to lead training in the Shinbukan. *Sugino Dojo – Sugino Yoshio, a judoka, began training in Katori Shintō-ryū when
Kanō Jigorō was a Japanese educator, athlete, and the founder of Judo. Along with Ju-Jutsu, Judo was one of the first Japanese martial arts to gain widespread international recognition, and the first to become an official Olympic sport. Pedagogical inno ...
invited four shihan to teach swordsmanship at the Kodokan dojo. He continued his training under Shiina Ichizo. Many of his students have taught Katori Shintō-ryū outside of Japan. His son, Sugino Yukihiro has continued to teach, and has received public acknowledgement from Iizasa Yasusada as representing an official branch of Katori Shintō-ryū. *Hatakeyama Goro – A high-ranking student of Sugino's, Hatakeyama Goro, had led several dojos internationally prior to his death. These dojos now operate independently. *Sugawara Budo – Sugawara Tetsutaka edited and published ''The Deity and The Sword'' through his own publishing company. He was awarded menkyo kyoshi (teaching license) in 1986, but later separated from the mainline. He currently teaches Katori Shintō-ryū as part of Sugawara Martial Arts Institute's curriculum. *Noda-ha – Noda Shinzan (1848–1917) began training in Katori Shintō-ryū in 1853 under Yamada Naomune, a retainer of the
Date clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Date", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 5 retrieved 2013-5-5. History The Date family was founded ...
. Many Date retainers had trained in Katori Shintō-ryū and developed their own distinctive style. After Naomune's death in 1912, Shinzan enrolled his grandson, Seizan, under Yamaguchi Kumajiro, the most senior mainline shihan at the time. Following the deaths of Yamaguchi and his grandfather, Noda Seizan continued to train under Motomiya Toranosuke. After Motomiya's passing, Noda studied with Hayashi Yazaemon who began reforming and standardizing the mainline curriculum. Finding his style incompatible with Hayashi's, Noda Seizan quietly withdrew to private teaching, referring to his branch as Noda-ha Katori Shintō-ryū. Noda-ha preserves some kata that have been lost in the mainline.Amdur, Ellis (2013). ''Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions'', Freelance Academy Press, Wheaton, IL, USA. . Ch 1 and 11. *Ichigidō – Shiigi Munenori began training in Katori Shintō-ryū under his father, who had trained with Motomiya Toranosuke, before formally training at Ōtake Risuke's dojo for over thirty years. He incorporates Katori Shintō-ryū as part of the curriculum of his Ichigidō organization and maintains a positive relationship with the Iizasa family. He writes "Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū" as "天真正伝香取神刀流" with '道' (way) with '刀' (sword). * Yoseikan Budo – Mochizuki Minoru, a judoka from the Kodokan who trained alongside Sugino Yoshio, has incorporated Katori Shintō-ryū into the curriculum of Yoseikan Budo. His son, Mochizuki Hiro, now heads Yoseikan.


Ranking & Appointed Positions

The different branches recognize different levels of ranks and appointments. The traditional ranks are a variant of the
menkyo is a Japanese term meaning "license." It refers to the license to teach used by practitioners of various Japanese classical arts and martial arts certifying some license within the school or ryū. The ''menkyo'' system dates back to the 8th ce ...
system.


Ōtake


Ranks

* Mokuroku (目録, "catalog") * Menkyo (免許, "license, certificate") * Gokui Kaiden (極意皆伝, "deepest transmission")


Appointments

* Shidōsha (指導者, "mentor, coach"; given as license to teach outside of Shinbukan dojo) * Shihan (師範, 'instructor'; head-teacher)


Sugino

The Sugino line uses modern
dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...
system only, in respect of Yoshio Sugino's (10th dan) judo teacher Kanō Jigorō, who was using this way of ranking as well, excluding the traditional menkyo system.


Hatakeyama

The Hatakeyama line (which has no current headmaster) makes use of the modern
dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...
system alongside the traditional menkyo system, issuing ranks in both with shōden/chūden/okuden gradations to create equivalent ranks from the menkyo system.


Ranks

*1st dan – kirikami shōden *2nd dan – kirikami chūden *3rd dan – mokuroku shōden *4th dan – mokuroku chūden *5th dan – menkyo mokuroku *6th dan – menkyo chūden *7th dan – menkyo okuden *8th dan – menkyo kaiden


Sugawara Budo

Sugawara Budo issues mokuroku and menkyo certifications. English-speaking members of Sugawara Budo refer to the rank of menkyo as a "kyōshi license", or "menkyo kyōshi".


Notable swordsmen in relation to Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū

*
Tsukahara Bokuden was a famous swordsman of the early Sengoku period. He was described as a '' kensei'' (sword saint). He was the founder of a new Kashima style of kenjutsu, and served as an instructor of Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ise provincial governor ...
– from the early sengoku period who developed his own style of swordsmanship
Kashima Shintō-ryū is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded by Tsukahara Bokuden in the Muromachi period (c.1530). Due to its formation during the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai, a time of feudal war, the school's techniques are based on ...
*
Musō Gonnosuke Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi (夢想權之助勝吉) was a samurai of the early 17th century and the traditional founder of the Koryu school of jojutsu known as Shintō Musō-ryū (神道夢想流/神道無想流). He is perhaps most famous for ...
– founder of
Shintō Musō-ryū , most commonly known by its practice of '' jōdō'', is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of the Japanese martial art of '' jōjutsu'', or the art of wielding the short staff (''jō''). The technical purpose of the art is to learn how to defea ...
*
Miyamoto Musashi , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...
– he meditated in the Kashima-Katori shrines *
Yamazaki Susumu was a Shinsengumi officer and spy, otherwise known as a . He was a ''rōnin'' (masterless samurai) from Osaka and an expert in ''Katori Ryu''. In 1863, he officially joined the Shinsengumi and in 1864, Yamazaki and Shimada Kai were assigned by ...
Shinsengumi The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time when ...
officer, physician and spy *
Katakura Murakiyo ( fl. 1743) was a Japanese samurai of the Edo period. A senior retainer of the Sendai domain, he was first known as Kagehiro (景寛). Murakiyo was the eighth Katakura Kojūrō. His childhood name was Shigekuro (繁九郎) later Yuunosuke (勇之 ...
– eighth head of the Katakura clan, earned menkyo kaiden *
Kuroda Yoshitaka , also known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he succeeded Takenaka Hanbei as a chief strategist and adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kuroda became a Christian wh ...
– late Sengoku daimyo and advisor to
Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
, appointed shihan *
Takenaka Shigeharu , who was also known as Hanbei (半兵衛), was a Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. Hanbei was the castle lord in command of Bodaiyama Castle. He was a chief strategist and adviser of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His father wa ...
– advisor to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and jōseki shihan of Katori Shintō-ryū *
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, (上泉 信綱), born Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Hidetsuna, (c.1508 – 1572/1577) was a samurai in Japan's Sengoku period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryū school of combat. He is also well known as Kamiizumi Ise ...
– founder of
Shinkage-ryū ' meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school ('' koryu'') of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Hidetsuna, later Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna Friday, Karl ''Legacies of the sword'', page 24. Univer ...
, student of Katori Shintō-ryū, Nen-ryū, and Kage-ryū * Anazawa Morihide – founder of Anazawa-Ryū naginatajutsu, studied under 5th soke of Katori Shintō-ryū and killed at the
Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* Amdur, Ellis (2002). ''Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions'', Edgework, p. 21–45 * Draeger, Donn F. ''The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan'' series, 3 volumes. * Friday, Karl F. (1997). ''Legacies of the Sword, the Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture'', University of Hawaii Press, p. 26 & 93, * Hall, David Avalon. ''Marishiten: Buddhism and the warrior Goddess'', Ph.D. dissertation, Ann Arbor: University microfilms, p. 274–292. * Hurst III, G. Cameron (1998). ''Armed Martial Arts of Japan, Swordsmanship and Archery'', Yale University Press, p. 46–49 & 58, * Mol, Serge (2001). ''Classical Fighting Arts of Japan, A Complete Guide to Koryu JuJutsu'', Kodansha International, p. 43 & 151, * Ōtake, Risuke (1977). ''The Deity and the Sword – Katori Shinto-ryu Vol. 1'', Japan, Japan Publications Trading Co. (Original Japanese title for all three volumes in this series is ''Mukei Bunkazai Katori Shinto-ryu'') * Ōtake, Risuke (1977). ''The Deity and the Sword – Katori Shinto-ryu Vol. 2'', Japan, Japan Publications Trading Co. * Ōtake, Risuke (1977). ''The Deity and the Sword – Katori Shinto-ryu Vol. 3'', Japan, Japan Publications Trading Co. * Ōtake, Risuke (2016). ''Strategy and the Art of Peace: Tenshinshō-den Katori Shintō-ryū'' (English Edition). Nippon Budokan Foundation.
description page
* Ratti, Oscar & Westbrook, Adele (1973). ''Secrets of the Samurai, A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan'', Charles E. Tuttle Co. * Skoss, Diane (editor) (1997). ''Koryu Bujutsu, Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan'', Koryu Books, vol 1, * Skoss, Diane (editor) (1999). ''Sword & Spirit, Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan'', Koryu Books, vol 2, p. 67–69. * Skoss, Diane (editor) (2002). ''Keiko Shokon, Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan'', Koryu Books, vol 3, * Sugino, Yoshio & Ito, Kikue (1977). ''Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu Budo Kyohan'' (A Textbook of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu Martial Training; originally published in 1941). * Warner, Gordon & Draeger, Donn F. (1982). ''Japanese Swordsmanship: Technique And Practice'',


External links


Shinbukan Dojo Official WebsiteKatori Shinto-ryu United KingdomKatori Shinto-ryu United StatesKatori Shinto-ryu Kyōsō Shibu Official WebsiteKatori Shinto-ryu Soke Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-Ryu Ko-ryū bujutsu Japanese martial arts