Hōzōin-ryū

infobox koryu
school = Hōzōin-ryū
(宝蔵院流)


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founder = Hōzōin Kakuzenbō In'ei (宝蔵院 覚禅房 胤栄, 1521–1607)
date founded = c.1560
period founded = Sengoku period (mid 1400s–mid 1600s)
location = Nara, Yamato Province
headmaster = Kagita Chubei
headquarters = Nara, Nara
art1 = "Sōjutsu"
description1 = Spear art
ancestors =
assimilated =
descendants = Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu • Shindō Yōshin-ryūNihongo|Hōzōin-ryū|宝蔵院流 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. Hōzōin 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 Daizendayu Moritada, a master of the spear. Under this master's guidance, Hōzōin honed his spearmanship.

It is said that one evening, on seeing the reflection of the crescent moon shining on Sarusawa pond, 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 kama-yari 鎌槍), he founded the Hōzōin-ryū.

Later, the teachings Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu were passed down to Nakamura Naomasa and then Takada Matabei Yoshitsugu. The three best disciples of Takada went to Edo, present day Tokyo, to promote the art. Its reputation spread nationwide and the number of disciples increased. As martial art of Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu was passed down from generation to generation, various new techniques as well as new dojo were created.

At the end of theTokugawa shogunate, (around the middle of the 19th century) there were many masters of Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu employed at the shogunate's martial arts training center.

Eventually in 1976, Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu returned to Nara. In 1991 Kagita Chubei was appointed the 20th headmaster and has been leading the Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu school since then.

An ancient Japanese poem expresses the spear of Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu:

"It can be a spear to thrust. It can be a pole-sword to cleave. It can be a sickle to slash. In any case, it never fails to hit the target ."

External links

* [http://www.koryu.com/guide/hozoin.html Koryu.com entry]
* [http://www4.kcn.ne.jp/~hozoin/E-index.html Hozoin-ryu Sojutsu]