Koryu Budo Clips from Japan

[Saitama Steve]

The following clips of koryu were taken by Mr.Russ Ebert & myself at the Nagoya Castle Kobudo Enbutaikai held on Friday 5th of May, 2006. Some of the clips will be hosted on you tube for a limited amount of time.

Some of the ryuha showcased were Owari Kan-ryu sojutsu, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu kenjutsu, Yakumaru (nodachi) Jigen-ryu, Tendo-ryu naginata, Hoten-ryu bujutsu among others.

We'll start off with Yakumaru Jigen-ryu, who specialize in the use of the Nodachi. The first clip shows them doing Yokogi Uchi (Very different characteristically from mainline Jigen-ryu which use tategi, but the training principle is the same.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5dAUfTQjSw&search=Mekugi (Yokogi Uchi)

Next they performed some group iaijutsu exercises

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvNm3sQwcv8&search=Mekugi (Iaijutsu)

And lastly, they performed nodachi tai yari kata.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m3LHFuY3J8&search=Mekugi (Nodachi Tai Yari)

enjoy!

[Saitama Steve]

Next is Owari Kan-ryu

Aisu Kage-ryu Odachi kata (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsfNuzJYBng)

Naginatajutsu Shinto-ryu Naginata (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpDNf4xr8dc&search=owari)

Owari Kan-ryu sojutsu kata using kuda yari (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dk2ylxYHUA)

[Saitama Steve]

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu practiced by the Shinpukan group, who also train in Owari Kan-ryu sojutsu

Kihon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a4q61PKtAQ)

Sangakuen no tachi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTM0qctatvk)

My apologies for the lousy camerawork.

[Saitama Steve]

Owari Kan-ryu Sojutsu Bogu Shiai (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN2g-hD_dSw)

[fifthchamber]

Great videos Steve,
And nicely filmed too if I do say so...Heh..
Nice collection there Russ..Some interesting things in the Takenouchi Ryu video too..
Thanks guys..
Regards.
Ben

[Saitama Steve]

Here's some rare footage of the little known hibuki (hidden weapons) school, Hoten-ryu. The embu was performed by Mr. Russ Ebert & Mr. Suzuki of the Sumera budojuku. Hoten-ryu's syllabus also contains kenjutsu, kodachijutsu, tessenjutsu, kusarigamajutsu and a handful of very obscure hidden weapons.

The weapon is a form of manriki kusari, but instead of blocked weights, weighted, curved iron hooks are used.

Hoten-ryu (http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=mekugi&page=2)

[Nagi David]

Very interesting that Owari Kan ryu Naginata demo, any data over that ryu, I would really like to know more about it? thanks

[ScottUK]

Keep 'em coming, Mr D. More hoten-ryu.... :)

[Kenshi]

fkn hell, jigen-ryu rocks. ive a few people id like to 'get jigen with' !!! (some are people on the boards).

ive a 2hr koryu dvd from last weeks embu taikai at the butokuden... cant transfer online though, sorry!!

[Maro]

Great videos - definitely interesting to see all the different styles.

[Nokori 3byo]

Steve, you and and Russ Ebert are my new Youtube heroes. Those videos are gold. I've been wanting to see an example of kusarigamajutsu, as practiced today, for ages now.

Again, thanks posting them!

[Saitama Steve]

We're going to put up some iai and tamishaggery soon too. Stay tuned!

[ScottUK]

Oi! Copyright violation....! (not the videos...) :D

[Saitama Steve]

This isn't koryu but it was rather impressive.

Two Toyama-ryu Battodo kenshi doing Kumi-iai with Shinken (Yes, live blades!)

Toyama-ryu kumi-iai (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sAyrQbuZjU)

[Saitama Steve]

Here's some footage of Ishida sensei, Menkyo Kaiden in Shinto Muso-ryu doing some high level kata. It looks to be a compilation of Ran-ai, Kage & Oku.

SMR Jo Kata (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpVkgQoeU40)

Prior to that demonstration was Isshin-ryu kusarigama, a Fuzoku-ryu or auxilliary school in Shinto Muso-ryu jo.

Isshin-ryu Kusarigamajutsu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm9FI5ppsyM)

[Saitama Steve]

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu (Don't ask me which group, because every time someone sneezes another group plops out somewhere!)

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iai (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6kV3hqSmQA)

[Saitama Steve]

Here's some Toyama-ryu tameshigiri

Very basic stuff. Tammyshaggery (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFp45RqO7GQ)

[Saitama Steve]

Sushin-ryu Iaibattodo Tameshigiri.

The Students (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqGqII3ojvU)

The headmaster (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjI1Aq69HFs)

[Galo]

This isn't koryu but it was rather impressive.

Two Toyama-ryu Battodo kenshi doing Kumi-iai with Shinken (Yes, live blades!)

Toyama-ryu kumi-iai (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sAyrQbuZjU)

AFAIK, Toyama Ryuu isn't considered a true koryu, however, it's a very combat-oriented style, right?

What is shown in the vid is really impressive indeed, specially now that you mention that it was performed with shinken. :shocked:

[Saitama Steve]

AFAIK, Toyama Ryuu isn't considered a true koryu, however, it's a very combat-oriented style, right?

What is shown in the vid is really impressive indeed, specially now that you mention that it was performed with shinken. :shocked:

That's right, that's why I said that Toyama-ryu isn't really a koryu.

Toyama-ryu was the sword style taught to military officers at the Toyama military academy before WW2.

[mekugi]

I just updated YouTube.com.

Anything you haven't seen yet can be rifled through and checked out here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mekugi

Point of interest is the Muhi Muteki ryu doing bojutsu.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_vp9_N_tZw

[Charlie]

Thank you so much for these, guys.

[Kansai Ronin]

nice stuff thanks!

[Saitama Steve]

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu is one of the most famous schools of classical Japanese swordsmanship in Japan. It was developed when Kamiizumi Ise No Kami Nobutsuna, the founder of Shinkage-ryu, encountered Yagyu So'uemon No Jo Muneyoshi (Sekishusai). When Muneyoshi lost to Ise No Kami in several bouts with training swords (Not bokuto, but fukuro jinai - a forerunner for modern Kendo's shinai), he asked to be a student of Ise No Kami. Afterwards, Muneyoshi was certified as a master of Shinkage-ryu by Kamiizumi.

As a provincial lord in the Yamato area, Muneyoshi became deeply involved in the battles and wars of that time. He presented a demonstration of his family style of Shinkage-ryu to Tokugawa Ieyasu at Takagamine, a hill in Northern Kyoto.

During a conversation after the regular demonstration of martial technique, Tokugawa Ieyasu was invited to attack the unarmed Muneyoshi (Who was in his eighties at the time) with a bokuto. Muneyoshi disarmed the wooden sword from Ieyasu's grasp and threw him to the ground. Impressed at the expertise of the old warrior, Ieyasu asked to have him serve the Tokugawa family as their personal sword instructor. Muneyoshi declined, citing his age, and instead sent one of his sons, Munenori, to serve Ieyasu.

At the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), Munenori was at the main encampment, with Ieyasu. Historical reports account that a raiding party burst upon the camp and attempted to assassinate Ieyasu and his general staff. Munenori leapt into the battle and quickly dispatched some tens of the the enemy before the rest withdrew. For his skill, Munenori's fortunes and rank rose rapidly. He became a fencing master to the Tokugawa shoguns. Later in his life, he became Soh-metsuke (A sort of fuedal era secret police) of the "outside" daimyo, those not originally allied to the Tokugawa.

Munenori founded the Edo Yagyu branch, the side of the Yagyu family that resided in the shogun's capitol of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Another brother, Yagyu Shinjiro Toshikatsu, went to serve the Owari Tokugawa, and Toshikatsu's son Hyogo No Suke Toshiyoshi Myounsai founded the Owari Yagyu.

Owari Yagyu Shinkage-ryu is the family line that still remains intact today. At the moment, this line is still headed by Yagyu Nobuharu sensei, the 21st generation headmaster. Their honbu dojo is in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The line of succession has carried on for those 21 generations.Official Owari Yagyu Yagyukai website (http://www.interq.or.jp/sun/shibata/yagyu-official/)

The Edo Yagyu Shinkage-ryu line is still taught in the kanto area, specifically, Kanagawa prefecture, Tochigi prefecture and Tokyo City. It traces it's lineage back via the late Otsubo Shiho shihan & Muto Masao shihan. The group also trains in Yagyu Shingan-ryu taijutsu.Arakido Dojo Edo Yagyu Shinkage-ryu & Yagyu Shingan-ryu (http://www.kunpooan.com/arakido/shinkage-e.html)

There are quite a few other branches going back to the Bakumatsu period that have seperated. For example, there is a branch of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu in kyushu that are rather similar to the mainlines, but have their own take on certain techniques going back to the time when it was taught,including shinken kumitachi in kacchu. Other branches have naginatajutsu and jojutsu in their densho.

Here are the Yagyukai (Family line) demonstrating kenjutsu at Atsuta Jingu, May 22nd, 2005.

Sangakuen No Tachi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpFdj4rE8Kg)

Kuka No Tachi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxPnWmMel8w)

Ai Raito Hassei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_x9X6aKKZs)

Empi No Tachi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AXV9MXLAJU)

[Kenshi]

Just to add in here. Yagyu Nobuhara sensei retired this february and there is now a new soke. I am sure this information will filter out given time.

The Edo-Line mentioned only goes back 3 generations. The Edo Line died out some time at the end of the Edojidai.

There are loads of groups teaching Yagyu Shinkage-ryu around Japan... some are totally made up groups, others are branches (of branches). There is the main group (still Yagyu family) and maybe a couple of others that are conidered the real-thing.

Looking at the vids on YouTube and having been directly involved in the practise of this koryu on-and-off for a number of years (I `retired` from my practise a few months ago to concentrate on a different koryu) I would say that the Yagyu-kai are still the leading and strongest group. But then, I am biased!

[ScottUK]

I `retired` from my practise a few months ago to concentrate on a different koryuWhich one, may I ask? If you can't say on an open forum, feel free to drop me a PM... cheers... :)

[Saitama Steve]

Looking at the vids on YouTube and having been directly involved in the practise of this koryu on-and-off for a number of years (I `retired` from my practise a few months ago to concentrate on a different koryu) I would say that the Yagyu-kai are still the leading and strongest group. But then, I am biased!

IMO, I'd say the Yagyu-kai and also the Owari Kan-ryu group, their Shinkage-ryu is rather good and they sometimes do kata like Sangakuen No Tachi with shinken.

[Kenshi]

using shinken could be useful, but i think bokuto would be more useful. one of my problems with YSR was the overuse of the fukuro shinai.

[Saitama Steve]

using shinken could be useful, but i think bokuto would be more useful.

How so George?

I don't really understand what you meant mate, since the Shinken is what you would ultimately be using.

[Maro]

Sushin-ryu Iaibattodo Tameshigiri.

The Students (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqGqII3ojvU)

The headmaster (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjI1Aq69HFs)

Is there anymore info on this school? It's got an unusual name.

[MiChuhSuh]

How so George?

I don't really understand what you meant mate, since the Shinken is what you would ultimately be using.

Well for one a bokken/bokuto is close to a shinken and has been used to fight against shinken while a shinai is seen by many as a weaker version of a bokken, which is actually what it is.

It is understandable in less controlled situations and for hitting the hands/wrists, but for most kata I don't understand why not just use a bokken/bokuto

[Kenshi]

How so George?

I don't really understand what you meant mate, since the Shinken is what you would ultimately be using.

sorry for my late reply steve.

basically, i dont want to die or lose parts of my body if i screw up the kata. this set includes cuts to the head (impact), thrusts to the chest/throat (possible impact), and cuts to the wrists (impact)... all stuff I want to keep undamaged.

also, the kata that was mentioned above includes gasshi (like itto-ryus uchi-otoshi) so this would involve a clash of your highly expensive weapons.

with bokuto you can get a resemblence of a sword (more so that with a fukuro shinai), be able to bash your weapons together, and have less risk of killing your sensei or - more like - of him killing you!!!

thats all really.

[ScottUK]

With the exception of the sword damage, how much of this is really possible when you have high-ranking/experienced kenshi practicing the waza/kata?

I appreciate a genuine mistake may involve a coroner, but I'd think if a school uses shinken at the higher echelons, then I would hope the practitioner would be ready to use one for kumitachi if it is expected at his level. If he wasn't, then I guess he wouldn't be ready for that level.

Thoughts?

[Kenshi]

personally, i would never want to put myself nor anybody i like in a situation where there is even a slight chance that an accident or even a death may occur. most of the people who i dont like i also wouldnt want to put in that situation. to do so is irresponsible and pretty stupid i think.

at least with a fukuro shinai you can smack people and other shinai without the chance of death, or the severing of a wrist etc. bokuto practise offers that as well, but is far less forgiving.

eventually, we got kendo.

i am guessing that you yourself dont whip out a couple of blades to run through your kata. in fact, i am guessing almost nobody does this in any sort of regular fashion. outside tamashigiri, i would question the need for shinken in sword practise. even in iai to some extent.

of course, the art in question would suggest whether a shinken could or could not be realistically used in kumitachi. for example, you can do it much easier in itto ryu than in shinkage-ryu. i would question whether katorishinto-ryu people could maintain their speed and intensity if they used shinken. in fact, it would be impossible. etc etc etc yada yada yada.

if you think im not serious about my sword study because i dont want to use a shinken, then thats your perogative.

just one quick story -- practising iai in a dojo in NYC many moons back. one of my sempai is using a cut down blade circa muromachi-jidai. suddenly, a police siren goes on right outside our (open windowed) dojo. everybody was startled. the shinken ended up embeded in a post.

[ScottUK]

I never said you aren't serious. I was aiming the issue at the high end of Japanese sensei - some of which, I understand, practice kumitachi with shinken. As for me, our ryu does not use shinken for any paired work.

For iai, however, I disagree. A massive part of my iai development is due to the transfer from iaito to shinken - for obvious reasons I need not spell out...

[mekugi]

Keep 'em coming, Mr D. More hoten-ryu.... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luXIuIbLphI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbCuluPy3O0

[ScottUK]

Nice one Russ. I love to watch Jigen Ryu & Hoten Ryu. Disturbingly cool stuff...

Hopefully, I'll be in Japan again in May (so I can see the Kyoto koryu embu) and hopefully get down to see Alex in Kagoshima - maybe see some of his Jigen Ryu in action...

[John Tee]

yeah ....thanks for those...sorta reminds me of the nun chaku thing I had going on as a kid...forgive my ignorance but what exactly is he using...domestic chain of some sort..agricultural?

[ScottUK]

Mo-To-Baiku Fundo, probably... :)

[Saitama Steve]

yeah ....thanks for those...sorta reminds me of the nun chaku thing I had going on as a kid...forgive my ignorance but what exactly is he using...domestic chain of some sort..agricultural?

They have a selection of weapons. one is a nichobin which is a length of chain and small, hand-size weights at either end. Practically the same as a kusari-fundo (more commonly known as a Manriki Kusari in Masaki-ryu)

The other weapon is a radical style of kusarigama, where the kusarigama truncheon is again, only hand-size. This is very different from orthodox kusarigama configurations.

Like this style, used by Araki-ryu & Kiraku-ryu bujutsu (http://japanesesword.net/eng/image/other/gw20.gif)

Or the ultra-exotic type used in Isshin-ryu (http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia10/image/sp33.jpg)

There are other forms of kusarigama, depending on the ryuha.

[John Tee]

Thanks Steve

[Saitama Steve]

No worries, John. :)

[neit]

are any of these groups around tokyo? i`m looking for something with long pole. like naginata or bo, yari.

[neit]

oops to clarify. i meant one of those 3, not all of them at the same

[Saitama Steve]

oops to clarify. i meant one of those 3, not all of them at the same

Toda-ha Buko-ryu teach these weapons in their syllabus. Their primary weapon is Naginata, but they also teach kagitsuki naginata (Glaive with a fitted crossbar), yari, bo, ken & Kusarigama.

Do some research into where they are. If you can find them and you can dedicate a good few years into doing a koryu in Japan, you will be in very good hands with this ryuha.

[neit]

thanks Steve. i`ll keep looking around. a single discipline might be a better fit for me though. i`ve been in contact with some naginata and jodo people so hopefully something will work out.

[Saitama Steve]

thanks Steve. i`ll keep looking around. a single discipline might be a better fit for me though. i`ve been in contact with some naginata and jodo people so hopefully something will work out.

You should do a bit more research into koryu budo then. Each ryuha is a discipline unto it's self. Even if you learn koryu Jo & Naginata, you will have to learn the auxilliary weapons systems. You don't just cherry-pick what you want to learn.

Shinto Muso-ryu jo's Heiden bujutsu include kenjutsu, juttejutsu, kusarigamajutsu, tanjojutsu and other disciplines.

Tendo-ryu Naginatajutsu (upon which modern naginata is based) teaches, kenjutsu, kaikenjutsu & kusarigamajutsu in their syllabus too.

[neit]

wow, seems overwhelming.　we`ll see what turns up.