Heki Danjo Masatsugu

nihongo|Heki Danjō Masatsugu|日置弾正政次|extra=1443 Yamato, Japan – 1502 was a warrior, who is seen as having created the basis for Japanese archery for footsoldiers. Heki Danjō's teaching started one of the prominent schools of "kyūdō", which is named "Heki-ryū" after him. Several "Heki-ryū" branches are taught activiely even today.

Heki Danjō lived in warlike times when it was considered honorable to be linked to famous warriors. For this reason there is no certainty to the connection between every Heki-ryū branch and the historical character Heki Danjō. It is known however that Heki Danjō taught Yoshida Shigekata, who collected the teaching into a scroll ("mokuroku"), which is still an important part of Heki-ryū's teaching. [Leif Bagge, The history of Heki Ryu From the Insai Ha point of view]

The founder of "Heki-ryū" "Insai"-branch Yoshida Genpachirō Shigeuji wrote about Heki Danjō as a manifestation of the god of war Hachiman. History tells us little of his life. Heki Danjō was born in Yamato, became a famed archer in a battle, taught kyūjutsu and shortly before his death ended as a monk at Mount Kōya. [Feliks F. Hoff (2002, engl.): Kyudo – the Way of the Bow, Shambala 2002, ISBN 1-57062-852-1]

ee also

*日置流 ("Heki-ryū") in the Japanese Wikipedia

References