This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
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 ancient times, all martial arts were referred to as "the way of the bow and horse," indicating that archery and horsemanship were essential skills, and furthermore, proficiency in various forms of close-quarters combat and hand-to-hand fighting was also required.
A wide range of combat techniques have been systematized, commonly referred to as the "18 martial arts," and martial arts have been created for all ranges of combat, from swordsmanship and judo to spearmanship, naginatajutsu, and bojutsu, using weapons and even bare hands
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
【Aomori Prefecture: Bokuden-ryu Swordsmanship, named after the legendary swordsman Tsukahara Bokuden
passed down in the Hirosaki Domaina style of swordsmanshipwe introduce "Bokuden-ryu Kenjutsu,"
a legendary swordsman from the Sengoku periodTsukahara Bokuden,.
Born into a family of Shinto priests at Kashima Shrine, which enshrines the god of war, Bokuden studied the family's traditional sword style,"Kashima Shinryu,"through his adoptive father's familythe "Katori Shinto-ryu" style, eventually establishing his own school,"Kashima Shinto-ryu." As a result, Bokuden-ryu is also known as Kashima Shinto-ryu and spread to various regions beyond Hirosaki.
However, the Bokuden-ryu style of the Hirosaki domain as described in this paper is different from that of the Kashima Shinto-ryu style, and"Morooka Ichiba,"created"Ichiba-ryu"is said to be a technique that follows the lineage of the
A hybrid style of the Sengoku period's intermediary swordsmanship and plain-clothed swordsmanship
A distinctive feature of the Bokuden school of swordsmanship is that it combines the styles of both the armored fighting of the Sengoku period and the plainclothes hand-to-hand combat of the Edo period and later
The former, martial arts performed while wearing armor,"kaisha martial arts," and the latter"bare-skin martial arts,"but let's take a closer look. In the case of swordsmanship, in the case of kaisha (swordsmanship), even if you attack head-on, it is difficult to inflict a fatal wound because it is blocked by the armor, and furthermore, the practitioner's movements are also restricted, so specialized techniques were required.
Specifically, one theory is to target weak points in the armor, such as the throat ring, the back gauntlets, the armpits, and the crotch, and to adopt a stable stance with your hips low and your feet spread apart
Also, as mentioned above, wearing armor makes it difficult for the swordsman to move freely, so the swordsman's movements are naturally focused on a range of motion that is in line with the armor's range of motion. Therefore, the sword style is often dynamic, yet also delicate, aiming for the slightest opening
On the other hand, Suhada (swordsmanship) is a style that became common after the Edo period when the battlefield became less of a concern, and is often seen fighting with a straight back and quick footwork, similar to modern kendo. Some schools had already begun to use it during the Sengoku period, but it can also be said to be a swordsmanship that was optimized for sword fights in situations where it was commonplace not to wear armor
Since the premise was that fighters would literally be in plain clothes, a direct hit with a sword on any part of the body would almost always be fatal, and it could be said that this is why more sophisticated sword techniques were required
The swordsmanship of armored warriors, preserved in their structures and techniques
The Bokuden-ryu kata begins with an upright posture reminiscent of the latter bare-skinned swordsmanship and modern kendo, but some of the stances still strongly evoke the style of the kaisha swordsmanship era
For example, in the "jodan no kamae" (upper stance), whereas in kendo the fist is raised directly above the head, in Bokuden-ryu the fist is raised slightly to the right of the forehead. This form is designed for those wearing a helmet, and originates from the fact that if there is an ornament such as a front crest, it is not possible to raise the fist directly above the forehead. Also noteworthy is the in-fighting technique of getting into the opponent's chest with a deep, crouching posture called "orimi" and attacking the back of the opponent's hand or throat with an upright sword
One of the most famous secret techniques of the founder of the school, Tsukahara Bokuden,"One Sword,"and although the specific movements of this sword are kept secret, it has been speculated that it is a sword technique in which one puts their entire being into a single strike.
As if to illustrate this, the Bokuden style of swordsmanship handed down through the Hirosaki domain is said to have its essence in a suicidal blow that is imbued with the spirit of breaking the armor itself, while dodging and pulling back to avoid the opponent's attacks
In any case, Bokuden-ryu, which combines the fighting styles of both the armored warriors of the Sengoku period and the swordsmen of the Edo period, can be said to be an important intangible cultural asset in the history of the physical culture of martial arts
【Iwate Prefecture: Due to the overwhelming striking power, matches with other styles are banned! "Shosho-ryu Wa"
a school of martial arts that was passed down in the Morioka Domain"Shosho-ryu Yawara,"we introduce
The Shosho-ryu school of martial arts is officially called"Kanze-teki Shinshosho Yogan Kitsune-den-ryu," and its distant ancestor is said to be Fujiwara no Kamatari. Kitsune-den-ryu was in danger of being lost about 150 years after Kamatari, and was revived by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, who renamed the school "Kanze-ryu."
Later, at the beginning of the Kamakura period, during a sumo match hosted by Minamoto no Yoritomo,Mori Uheita Kunitomo,, performed brilliantly and was praised by the various feudal lords present. It is said that he then ordered that this technique be named "Shosho-ryu" (meaning "a style of awards"), which is the origin of the school. Therefore, in this school, Mori Uheitathe "27th successor of the Kanze school" and the "first successor of the Shosho-ryu."is positioned as
Regardless of whether the legends that the founder of the original school was Fujiwara no Kamatari or that Sakanoue no Tamuramaro revived it are historical facts, it is common in old-style martial arts to link the origins of a school to ancient times or well-known people
It is not clear when Shosho-ryu was first founded, but at least there are accounts of unarmed combat in the Age of the Gods in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, and the word "sumo" was first written during the reign of Emperor Yuryaku, so it is believed that unarmed fighting techniques have a very ancient history
Sumo during the Middle Ages when Minamoto no Yoritomo lived is thought to have been different from today's professional sumo, and was more of a style closer to mixed martial arts, so it is easy to imagine that practitioners of historic martial arts such as Shosho-ryu were active
Elbow strikes, sharp kicks, and powerful striking techniques
A distinctive feature of the Shosho-ryu style of martial arts is its extremely powerful striking techniques. It places particular emphasis on elbow strikes and foot strikes, as well as kicks, and also employs other powerful attacking techniques such as hand strikes and eye-gouging
Shosho-ryu is known for the power of its foot attacks (kicking techniques), and it is rare even among old-style jujutsu to see a technique as sharp as a front kick in karate
What is noteworthy about this foot guard is that it is not a type that you put your weight on, but rather a kick that transmits impact to the opponent by raising the heel of the supporting foot and emphasizing speed
To master these foot-attack techniques, Shosho-ryu trainees to be able to kick a hanging hand towel so that it dents only the center, or kick the side of a barrel with its lid down in place without sending it flying backwards.In addition, in paired practice, students actually perform kicking movements using extremely thick, torso-like protective gear called a "nikura."
The striking technique that destroyed armor, demonstrated in front of the Emperor
The following story is passed down as an anecdote that demonstrates the power of the Shosho-ryu's striking techniques
In the first half of the 19th century, during the Tenpo era, in the time of Nanbu Toshiyuki, the 12th lord of the Morioka domain, an armored combat tournament was held in which various schools of swordsmanship within the domain gathered. From the Shosho school,Matsuhashi Muneyoshi,, was 19 years old at the time and participated, but when the military equipment magistrate urged him to choose the armor to use in the tournament, he declined.
To demonstrate the reason, Munen tied the armor to a pillar and hammered elbow pads from the Shosho school into the torso. When the magistrate took the armor apart and examined it, he found that the bellows on the inside had been severely damaged by the impact of the elbow strike
The most powerful weapon was the foot guard, but the lord of the domain considered it rude to use a kick in front of him, so he used his elbow instead. However, Nanbu Risato was so astonished by the power of the guard that he subsequently banned the Shosho-ryu from fighting with other schools, and designated it as a secret school that was not to be taken outside the domain
It is said that the armor from this time survived until the beginning of the Taisho period, but has now been lost
Shosho-ryu was introduced to the Morioka domain in the mid-Edo period, during the reign of the sixth feudal lord, Nanbu Toshiki. It was brought there by Oka Takebei, who was born into a medical family in Morioka and traveled around the country training as a warrior. He learned Shosho-ryu in Kamakura and became the 21st successor
Since then, Shosho-ryu has been passed down in Morioka through the generations and was designated an intangible cultural property of Morioka City in 1979, with its historical techniques still being passed down by disciples today
to Enjoying Life.
" - Honorable Mention for "The Land of Star Readings" at the 3rd Misato Western Treasury Literary Awards.
A Visual Guide
competition. - "Swordsman's Communications" at the 9th Historical and Period Novel Grand Prizes, "Exhilarating! Entertainment Swordsman Award" (book publication project in progress).
- 5th Dan in Iaido, 4th Dan in Jodo.
