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It is self-evident that the samurai's primary duty was to fight, and for this reason, numerous martial arts have been devised and refined throughout history.
In the past, martial arts in general were called " the way of archery and horseback riding," and bow and arrow skills were essential, as well as knowledge of various hand-to-hand and combat techniques.
A wide range of combat techniques have been systematized, commonly referred to as the " 18 martial arts
Generally, these martial arts that were established before the Meiji period are collectively referred to as " kobudo ," and there are records that during the feudal domain era, many martial arts were taught in each domain and practiced mainly by samurai.
Among these ancient martial arts, there are many that are still being passed down through the generations, and you can still see actual demonstrations today.
In this article, we would like to introduce some particularly valuable schools of these ancient martial arts that have been passed down in the six Tohoku prefectures.
【Miyagi Prefecture: Just like Chinese martial arts?! Yagyu Shingan-ryu martial arts: subduing armored warriors with fierce blows
First, from Miyagi Prefecture, we will introduce the Yagyu Shingan-ryu martial arts,
the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu of Yamato, Nara , but our school is a comprehensive martial arts school that teaches a wide variety of techniques, including swordsmanship, jujitsu, stick fighting, and sickle fighting.
Takenaga Hayato, a martial artist from Sendai who lived during the Sengoku period . In addition to learning various schools, he is said to have learned the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu from Yagyu Munenori in Edo and founded the school.
Atemi is a striking technique that involves punches and kicks, which is also found in judo.
is particularly characterized by its martial arts techniques that are designed for use while wearing armor, and its intense striking techniques that are often described as "unique."
Generally speaking, when people think of jujutsu, they tend to think of it as the origin of modern judo, and as such it is composed mainly of grappling techniques such as throws.
Or, recently, due to the influence of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, many people may think of fighting styles such as joint locks and chokeholds on the ground.
However, original judo can also be described as a kind of mixed martial art that encompasses all unarmed combat techniques, including grappling while wearing armor, throwing, striking, chokeholds, and submissions (joint locks).
In ancient Japanese martial arts, striking techniques are "atemi" and have been passed down in various schools of judo, but there are not many styles that use strikes as their decisive force, like karate or kickboxing.
It is no exaggeration to say that one theory in judo is that striking should be performed in conjunction with throws, chokes, and submissions in order to unsettle the opponent.
However, as mentioned above, the Yagyu Shingan-ryu style is notable for the variety and intensity of these striking techniques.
The movements are more reminiscent of Chinese martial arts than judo, and consist of strikes with fists and elbows, sharp footwork like front kicks, and powerful body slams.
In the Yagyu Shingan-ryu school of Sendai, the "Twenty-eight Articles of Suburi" form the basis of all techniques, from unarmed to weapon-based, and it is said that all techniques are developed by applying these movements.
Techniques for fighting with armored warriors
While the Yagyu Shingan-ryu style is eye-catching with its distinctive strikes, one of its important points is that it is designed for combat while wearing armor.
It is said that the reason why Japanese judo developed grappling techniques such as throws was because there was a need to perform such armored combat, and falling on the battlefield while wearing heavy equipment meant immediate death.
Therefore, it can be said that the flow of throwing and pinning down is the theory of combat techniques in judo, and the Yagyu Shingan-ryu also has a special throwing technique as one of the finishing moves.
This is called "mukuri," and involves lifting the torso part of the enemy's armor from below, attacking the neck with the breastplate, and flipping the enemy over onto his back.
In practice, injury is prevented by a fall that involves a full spin, but if you were actually wearing armor and were hit by this technique and thrown to the hard ground, you would likely suffer a fatal injury.
There is also the image that striking a warrior in armor is ineffective, but the Yagyu Shingan-ryu school is said to have passed down a special technique in which the warrior places his hand on the armor and strikes from above, allowing only the impact to penetrate the enemy.
It can be said that this is a powerful armored martial art with no blind spots in any direction.
A variety of weapon techniques typical of the Sengoku period
As mentioned earlier, the reason Yagyu Shingan-ryu is called "military arts" is because it deals with not only swordsmanship and martial arts but also all kinds of weapons, but let's take a look at some other distinctive techniques.
three-inch stick
It is a type of stick fighting technique that literally uses a three-foot (approximately 90 cm) stick, and is said to have originated from fighting on the battlefield with the remaining handle of a spear or other weapon that was cut off.
In ancient Japanese martial arts, the standard length of a stick is six shaku (approximately 180 cm), and since a three-foot stick is half that length, it is sometimes called a "half stick" in some schools.
Since it is a stick, it naturally does not have a blade, but the power of the strikes and thrusts is immense, and it is known as an exquisite martial art that reflects the techniques of spears and naginata.
Jinkama
This technique uses a sickle, a tool that was once used to cut grass and build camps on the battlefield, as a weapon. Other schools also have techniques that use sickles, but the Yagyu Shingan-ryu style uses a sickle that is shaped like a crowbar with a short, thick blade.
Jinbaori
A jinbaori is a flat, conical hat worn by foot soldiers instead of a helmet, and is generally made by applying layers of lacquer to thin iron plates, leather, or Japanese paper.
In addition to being used as armor, it was also used to draw water and as a pot, and the Yagyu Shingan school has passed down techniques for using it as a weapon.
Techniques include holding the jinbaori like a shield to deflect the opponent's sword, or getting close and thrusting with the tip of the cone or striking with the edge.
Nose twisting
This is a stick about 50cm long with a looped string attached to one end. When a horse becomes violent, the loop is passed through the nose and twisted to subdue it.
It is said that it was carried on the battlefield to control military horses, making it a rare technique for using it as a weapon.
Although it has a strong element of self-defense, the techniques share some similarities with short-handled weapon techniques such as the kodachi and jitte, which are used to get close to the opponent.
【Fukushima Prefecture: The secret sword of Aizu, "Itto-ryu Mizoguchi-ha Swordsmanship," which was passed down at the risk of one's life
Next, from Fukushima Prefecture, we will introduce the Itto-ryu Mizoguchi-ha swordsmanship,
When it comes to Itto-ryu, the famous Ono-ha Itto-ryu, which served as an instructor for the Tokugawa Shogunate along with the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, is well known, and our school is one of the branches that descend from that school.
At the Aizu domain school, Nisshinkan, the "Aizu Five Schools" were practiced, but among them, the Itto-ryu Mizoguchi school was a secret school that was only allowed to be studied by the domain lord or high-ranking samurai and was not shared outside the domain, and was the "oryu-ryu."
The secret technique passed down using fire tongs was in danger of being lost during the Boshin War
Due to its secrecy, only a limited number of people have kept the story, and it is said that it was in danger of being lost during the Battle of Aizu during the Boshin War.
The person who transmitted this story at the time was a man named Kayano Nagaharu, a chief retainer of the Aizu clan, who was forced to commit seppuku (disembowelment)
On the day of his seppuku, Kayano suddenly stood up in the middle of his final meal and, using bamboo tongs, taught the secrets of the Itto-ryu Mizoguchi school to his relative, Ibuka Takuemon, who was under house arrest in the same Edo mansion.
This was the combination sword technique called "Sayutenkademi no Hidachi (Secret Sword of the Origin of Left and Right Transformation)."
A unique sword stroke with large swings to the left and right
Originally, there were many forms of Itto-ryu Mizoguchi-ha, but currently only five techniques for the odachi and three for the kodachi are handed down.
However, the Odachi has a normal "Omote" and a modified "Ura", which allows for a wider variety of techniques.
As the name "Saiyo Tenka" suggests, the sword strokes, which are swung from side to side as the sword passes by, are particularly eye-catching, and the finishing move is characterized by the sword moving all the way around to the opponent's back and slashing almost from behind.
The five odachi swords are named after the five elements, Earth, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Water, and are used to attack the opponent's weaknesses with smooth, flowing movements.
There are many branches of Itto-ryu, but one of the reasons why the Mizoguchi school is said to be unique is because of these large movements to the left and right.
Itto-ryu is characterized by frontal techniques that appear almost linear to the viewer, and among these is the famous "kiriotoshi" technique, in which the sword is placed directly against the opponent's slash to counter it, and there are practitioners of modern kendo who continue to study this technique.
Therefore, the Mizoguchi school, which is a "single-sword style" but has a strong element of movement to the left and right, can be said to be a valuable school in the lineage of swordsmanship history.
The Itto-ryu Mizoguchi school of swordsmanship was passed down at the risk of people's lives from the end of the Edo period through to the Meiji Restoration, but surprisingly, its existence was only made public in 1968 (Showa 43).
In September of that year, at the East-West Kendo Tournament held in Fukushima Prefecture, the first-ever public demonstration was held by Wada Shinhanshi (8th dan, then president of the Aizu Kendo Federation) and Yoshikawa Tadakyoshi (7th dan).
The Itto-ryu Mizoguchi school is a secret sword of Aizu, and successive successors have been strictly warned not to let others see it or talk about it.
When Wada Hanshi was taught this technique as a boy by his father, Wada Matashiro, who was once a member of the Byakkotai, he was told to keep it a secret.
However, as time passed, there was growing concern that the tradition would be lost, so they decided to break the ban and hold a public demonstration. As a result, the Mizoguchi school has survived to the present day, and swordsmen who continue to hone their skills are protecting and passing on the secret sword techniques of Aizu.
・Original text for Seibido Publishing's "Enjoy looking at the Heian period picture encyclopedia. " ・"The Land of Star Reading" won an honorable mention in the 3rd Shosoin Misato Literary Award of the West. ・"Io-san's Bride Meal" won an honorable mention in Everystar's "Delicious Time." ・"Swordsman's Message" won the "9th History and Period Novel Grand Prize" and the "Entertainment Swordsman Award" (plans to publish it as a book are currently underway). ・5th Dan in Iaido and 4th Dan in Jodo.
