Takenouchi-ryū

infobox koryu
nationality = Traditional Japanese martial art
school = Takenouchi-ryū
(竹内流)


imagecaption =
founder = Takenouchi Nakatsukasadaiyū Hisamori
founder dates = c.1502–1595
period founded = late Muromachi period
(1336–1573)
date founded = 1532
headmaster = No single headmaster
headmaster dates = There are two official mainline schools, and multiple branch schools
art1 = Jujutsu
description1 = Grappling art, unarmed or with minor weapons
art2 = "Bōjutsu"
description2 = Staff art
art3 = "Kenjutsu"
description3 = Sword art
art4 = "Iaijutsu"
description4 = Sword drawing art
art5 = "Naginatajutsu"
description5 = Glaive art
art6 = "Tessenjutsu"
description6 = Iron fan art
art7 = "Hojōjutsu"
description7 = Rope-tying and restraining art
art8 = "Sakkatsuhō"
description8 = Resuscitation methods
ancestors = None identified
descendants = Araki-ryū

Nihongo|Hinoshita Toride Kaizan Takenouchi-ryū|日下 捕手 開山 竹内流 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.

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 "bokken" (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.

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 kata 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 jūdō 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 (six foot long 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 Province (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::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.

American branches

Currently, there are only two authorized teachers of Takenouchi Ryu residing in the United States. Wayne Muromoto of the Hawaii Seifukan is the senior most Takenouchi Ryu monjin(disciple) residing in America. Andrew Antis of the San Francisco Ryufukai is also a legitimately authorized teacher of the art. All U.S.-based instructors are of the Bitchu-Den lineage of the school, under current headmaster Ono Yotaro.

References

* Mol, Serge. 2001. "Classical fighting arts of Japan: A complete guide to koryū jūjutsu". Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 4-7700-2619-6.
* Skoss, Diane (ed.). 1999. "Sword and spirit". Volume 2 in "Classical warrior traditions of Japan". Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Koryu Books. ISBN 1-890536-05-9.

External links

* [http://www.furyu.com/wayne/Seifukan/Takeuchi/Tryu01.html Bitchū-den Takeuchi Ryū] at the Seifūkan dojo in Hawai‘i
* [http://www.koryu.com/guide/takenouchi.html Takenouchi Ryū] in the Koryu.com Guide to Classical Ryuha
* [http://www.goldengatemartialarts.com/Files/ryufukan.html Takenouchi Ryu Ryufukai] Takenouchi Ryu in San Francisco