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CANE SELF DEFENCE with MATS HJELM

From Budoshop.se by budoshop

CANE SELF DEFENCE with MATS HJELM was filmed at TANRENKAI 5 Workshop in September 2026 in Stockholm.

After two films — one based on Hatsumi Sensei’s Stick Fighting techniques for Self Defence, and one based on the traditional hanbō of Kukishin-ryū — it is time to let those two worlds meet on the floor. And to do it in memory of Ed Martin, who carried that very tool as if it were a part of him.

I remember him from 1997. I was about 32. He was already carrying the cane then, with his wide smile and his many stories.

Five years later I invited him for the first time, to Kaigousuru in Stockholm. It mattered to me. Not because a new chapter was supposed to begin, but because I could see, up close, how he carried age and limited movement — what all of us meet sooner or later — and still kept teaching, laughing, and taking up space. Between 2002 and 2007 he came five times to the taikai I arranged myself. 2007 was the last time I held Kaigousuru, but not the last time we met.

Ed Martin died on 13 July 2017.

Now that I have reached about the same age he was when I first saw him, I want to pass on the cane self-defence I learned from him in those years. Timing, natural movement, and a tool you can actually carry with you. The same thing he gave to so many others.

Cane Self Defence Video Highlights Include

Walking with the Cane, Te-Hodoki, Yoru Na, Kamae to Te no Uchi, The Cane, Kote Uchi Ashi Ori, Kubi Dori, Osoto-Nage, Tsuke-Iri, Musha-Dori, Kosshi-Ori, Bo-Hodoki, Ashirau.

CANE SELF DEFENCE Poster

30 Minutes. The language is English with no subtitles.
Dimensions: 1920×1080.
Codecs: QuickTime Text, MPEG-4 AAC, H.264
Download size 674 MB.

Download Video $9.99

Cane Self Defence Promo Video

If you don’t see the promo video below go to BUJINKAN.TV

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983. It wasn’t until 1986 when he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidōshi. He has taught at numerous seminars all around the world, gone to Japan 3-5 times every year. After he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site toryu.se or come and train with him at Kaigozan Dojo.


…

Memories of Jesse

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

I don’t know what to say. Last week I got terrible news. One of my senior students and friends passed away. He had been an integral member of our dojo since around 2009 when he started as a white belt. 

I watched him and his son grow as they trained with us. Now his son is a smart young man in college who has lost his best friend and role model. We are empty with grief.

I quickly went through my personal photo collection and video archive to find some images that reflected Jesse’s time as my friend. But I can’t get everything he meant to me from those images or into these words.

がんばって Jesse……

摩利支天法 Marishiten-hō (document from 1698)

From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu

摩利支天法 Marishiten-hō (document from 1698)

摩利支天法 Marishiten-hō Introduction to the Translation

This translation presents the complete text of a handwritten Japanese manuscript of the Marishiten-hō (摩利支天法), the Ritual Method of Marishiten.

The original is a short manuscript of eleven leaves held by the Treasure Hall of Zentsūji (総本山善通寺), the head temple of the Shingon school in Kagawa Prefecture. It has been digitized from microfilm and is made available through the National Institute of Japanese Literature (国文学研究資料館) under the Kokusho Database, DOI 10.20730/100226119 (catalogue number セ01-0243-004 / 図号 88-50).

The outer cover bears Siddham characters together with the notation 初安. The inner title is clearly 摩利支天法. The text is written in classical Japanese mixed with Kanbun and Siddham script, and includes detailed ritual instructions, mudrās, visualizations, and the traditional dhāraṇī of Marishiten. A colophon records that the present copy was drafted in Genroku 11 (1698) by the elder monk Jōgon of Reiun, on the basis of an earlier transcription made in Kan’ei 5 (1628).

The translation that follows aims to remain as literal as possible to the original wording and structure.

摩利支天法 Marishiten-hō

Invitation: Great Holy Marishiten Bodhisattva. Retinue, class, and the various heavenly hosts.

Making the vow: the Principal Deity, Great Holy Marishiten. Retinue and attendants, the various heavenly hosts, and so on.

Contemplation of the ritual site.

Inside the tower-pavilion there is the character 貞 forming a lotus-leaf seat; upon it there is the character 貞. The character 或 is the great self of all dharmas, the meaning of sovereignty; raising it, it transforms and becomes the form of a heavenly fan. The fan transforms into the Great Holy Marishiten, resembling a female form. The left hand bends the arm upward, the wrist placed before the left breast, making a fist; inside the fist it holds a heavenly fan. The fan is like the one that was before Vimalakīrti in former times.

The woman holds the heavenly fan; in the middle of the fan there is a 卍 Manji character, its form like the auspicious character on the upper part of the Buddha. The character has four curves, and inside each of the four there is a sun form. On that heavenly fan there is a light-flame appearance. The right hand fully extends the arm and stretches the five fingers, the fingertips hanging down, making the wish-granting gesture. To its left and right sides also each there is a 貞 character, both forming lotus-leaf seats; upon them each there is a 卍 Manji character that transforms into heavenly maidens who together hold white fly-whisks and stand in attendance.

Invitation: form the 結身印 Kesshin-in (Body Seal). The seal is like the 大金剛輪印 Daikongōrin-in (Great Vajra-wheel Seal). The two empties twist the two winds sideways, only letting the two empties come and go.

The dhāraṇī says:

曩謨引囉怛曩合二怛囉二合夜引野一 Namo ratna-traya-ya

怛你也二合他去引遏迦摩鼻聲己一 Tadyathā a-ka-ma (with nasal sound) …

三沫迦麼臬四阿上度引麼臬五紫 … tri-maka-ma-ne shi a-u-du-i-ma-ne go shi

精以鉢囉麼臬五摩訶紫鉢囉麼臬 sei-i hatsu-ra-ma-ne go maha-shi hatsu-ra-ma-ne

切引 setsu-in

頗怛馱引曩麼臬八麼引鼻哩引紫 ha-ta-da-i-na-ma-ne hachi ma-i-bi-ri-i-shi

野麼臬九曩謨引婆觀合帝十囉轉 ya-ma-ne kyū namo-i ba-kan-gō-tei jū ra-ten

乞濕合二囉乞濕合二斡引十薩縛薩怛 kitsu-shitsu-gō-ni ra kitsu-shitsu-gō-ni wa-i jū sa-ba sa-ta

縛引難上左二薩縛怛囉十合三薩 ba-i-nan-jō-sa-ni sa-ba-ta-ra jū-san-gō san sa

縛婆去喻引鉢捺囉合二吠引毗藥合二 ba-ba-ko-yu-i hatsu-natsu-ra-gō-ni bei-i bi-yaku-gō-ni

婆縛引合賀引十 ba-ba-i-gō-ga-i jū

Boundary of the unmoving. Praise of the Four Wisdoms. Empowerment of the principal deity. The preceding 召請印 Shōshō-in (Invitation Seal), only the two-empty mantra, says as above.

Also the mantra says (from the Amoghavajra-translated sūtra, named the heart mantra):

娜莫三去滿多没駄引南一唵引二摩 namaḥ samanta-buddhānām ichi oṃ ni ma

Next, the 安怛祖那印 Antarisona-in (Antardhāna Seal); this means the invisibility seal. With the left hand make an empty palm into a fist; the thumb slightly bent and pinching the tip of the index fingernail like a ring; the lower three fingers grasp into a fist making it tight; and also make a hole in the palm.

In front of one’s own mind, visualize one’s own body entering into the hole of this seal and being hidden. With the right hand, palm flat, rotate rightward stroking this seal and then cover the hole above. Visualize that this seal is the body of Marishiten Bodhisattva; one’s own body is concealed inside the heart of Marishiten Bodhisattva. With one mind concentrate without interruption, recite the preceding root and heart mantras without limiting the number of times. Only with sincere and earnest mind one will certainly obtain the Bodhisattva’s majestic-spirit protection. All enemies and evil people completely will not be able to see; all disasters and difficulties will all obtain liberation.

Correctly and mindfully recite the heart mantra. Contemplation of the syllable wheel.

[Circular diagram of Siddham characters with surrounding notes: unborn and unceasing, nature and characteristics both transcended, speech is itself the real truth, the flowing is unobtainable, self and other both extinguished, cause and effect are non-dual, and so on.]

All dharmas are like water flowing and pouring; in an instant they do not stop; the former is extinguished.

That which is later born is still only the limited view of ignorance; yet in reality all dharmas from the beginning are originally existent, without difference of the three times, without change of the four characteristics. This is called the flowing that is unobtainable. In the gate of original non-arising, the self also fully possesses the other, the other also fully possesses the self; therefore self and other both are extinguished, of one taste and equal. This is the meaning of the 卍 Manji character. When self and other are already non-existent, then the nature and characteristics of self and other also are extinguished; raising it, the nature and characteristics of all dharmas also have no fixed characteristics. This is the meaning of the 卍 Manji character. As for the characteristics of arising and ceasing, characteristics returning to nature is called ceasing; nature giving rise to characteristics is called arising. Nature and characteristics already empty, therefore there is no arising and ceasing. This is the meaning of the 卍 Manji character. All dharmas completely have no arising and no ceasing; therefore the changing words and letters, raising them, are the one real truth. Words and letters, raising them, are true reality; therefore causal practices, raising them, are the resultant virtues. Cause and result are one body; therefore all dharmas unite with original non-arising.

Scattered recitation.

佛眼 大日金或 本尊 Buddha-Eye Mahāvairocana (Golden or) Principal Deity

日天 法施 一字 Sun Deity Dharma Offering One Syllable

Homage to the Buddha.

Dismissal: using the 召請印 Shōshō-in (Invitation Seal), the two empties wave outward. The words say:

[Siddham]

Accompanying-monk heart mantra. Subsequent empowerment heart mantra.

護摩 息災 增益 敬愛 降伏 Homa Pacification Increase Respect-and-love Subjugation

Healing illness. Obtaining clear hearing. Extinguishing heavy sins.

According to the original: Drafted on the 13th day of the 10th month of Genroku 11 by the elder bhikṣu of Reiun, Jōgon, age 60.

Copied from the Gokoku-ji original on the 15th day of the third winter month of Kan’ei 5, the year of the Earth Rat. Corrected once in vermilion by Zuishō of Ichinai village in Tanshū, beginning together with the śramaṇa Jakunyo.

Translation Notes

  • Siddham characters (梵字 / 悉曇文字) Large Siddham (Bonji) characters appear throughout the manuscript, especially in the mantra sections and on the cover. Because they cannot be reproduced accurately in plain text they are marked as [Siddham] or [Siddham groups]. Their phonetic Chinese transcriptions are translated only where the manuscript itself provides readable Sino-Japanese readings.
  • Phonetic annotations The manuscript contains many small interlinear notes that guide the precise pronunciation of the mantra syllables. The most frequent are:
    • 鼻聲 (bisei) – “nasal sound”: the syllable is to be pronounced with nasalization.
    • 上 (jō) – “rising”: indicates the rising tone.
    • 去 (kyo / ko) – “departing”: indicates the departing tone.
    • 切引 (setsu-in) – “cut and draw out”: the syllable is given a sharp onset and then lengthened.
    • Other marks such as 引 (lengthen), 合 (combined sound), and numbered sequential markers (四, 五, 八, 九, 十, 十三, etc.) also appear. These numbers are the original phrase counters of the standard multi-phrase dhāraṇī and are rendered in the English line with their conventional Japanese readings (shi, go, hachi, kyū, jū, jū-san, etc.).
  • Seals (mudrās) The text describes several seals with finger instructions:
    • 結身印 Kesshin-in (Body Seal), said to be like the 大金剛輪印 Daikongōrin-in (Great Vajra-wheel Seal).
    • 安怛祖那印 Antarisona-in (Antardhāna Seal), explicitly called the invisibility seal (隱形).
    • 召請印 Shōshō-in (Invitation Seal), used both for invitation and for dismissal.
  • 卍 Manji The character 卍 is used as a seed symbol on the fan and the attendant seats, and later as the focus of a philosophical contemplation on emptiness and non-duality. It is always written as 卍 Manji.
  • Colophon The final page records two layers of transmission: a draft made in Genroku 11 (1698) by the elder bhikṣu Jōgon of Reiun (age 60), based on an earlier copy from a Gokoku-ji original made in Kan’ei 5 (1628) and corrected in vermilion by Zuishō of Ichinai village in Tanshū together with the śramaṇa Jakunyo.

The post 摩利支天法 Marishiten-hō (document from 1698) appeared first on 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu.…

太公望と天津蹈鞴 Taikōbō and the Amatsu Tatara

From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu

太公望と天津蹈鞴 Taikōbō and the Amatsu Tatara

I once read that the Amatsu Tatara scrolls themselves were said to have come from the belly of a fish. That single detail made the old Chinese legend of Lü Shang leap off the page. Three thousand years ago, the sage known as Taigong Wang fished for years with a bare thread until a carp rose from the river carrying a book of profound military strategy in its belly.

The parallel is hard to ignore. Both traditions speak of sacred strategic knowledge arriving from the water, sealed inside a fish, and later entrusted to rulers who would shape the destiny of nations. Whether the Amatsu Tatara transmission somehow inherited or echoed this far older current is something we can never prove. Yet the resemblance is striking enough to invite the thought that these two stories may, in some distant way, share a common root.

The Great Straight-Needle Incident

(or: How a Man Caught a Carp Full of Military Secrets)

呂尚 Lǚ Shàng more known as 太公望 Taikōbō in Japan. He lived around 1000 BC

Long ago there lived a man named Lü Shang1, later known as Taigong Wang. He was old, bearded, and thoroughly tired of ordinary life. So he moved to the state of Zhou2, sat down by the Wei River, and began fishing with a thread that had no hook at all.

Just a plain thread. Dangling. For three entire years.

The villagers walked past every day, scratched their heads, and whispered:

“He’s either a profound sage… or he’s completely lost his mind.”

Lü Shang ignored them and kept dangling the thread with the calm of a man who already knew the punchline.

Heaven watched.
Heaven waited.
Heaven eventually grew impatient and decided to speed things up.

One fine morning a large, slightly offended carp swam up, eyed the useless thread, and thought:
“Fine. I see how this works. Bureaucratic destiny it is.”

The carp bit.
Lü Shang pulled.
And there, inside the fish’s belly, was a book — not a shopping list, not a love letter, but a detailed manual of military strategy containing the very essence of Qimen Dunjia3.

At almost the same moment, King Wen of Zhou woke up from a vivid dream in which a sage was sitting by the Wei River doing something extremely peculiar with a fishing line. He immediately sent messengers.

They found Lü Shang still sitting there, wiping fish scales off an ancient book of battlefield secrets.

“Would you consider becoming our military advisor?” the messengers asked politely.

Lü Shang looked at the book, looked at the river, and shrugged.
“I suppose the fish has spoken.”

He joined the Zhou forces. Later, under King Wen’s son King Wu, he helped overthrow the tyrant King Zhou of Shang. The strategies that came out of that carp’s belly proved remarkably effective.

According to later tradition, the same art had first been mastered by the Yellow Emperor, then passed down through Huang Shigong and Zhang Liang, until it was finally perfected by the famous Zhuge Liang.

And that is how a man fishing with no hook, a mildly annoyed carp, and a book of directional military secrets changed the course of a dynasty — while the villagers continued to insist they had known he was special all along.

  1. His personal name is written 呂尚, pronounced Lǚ Shàng in Chinese and Ro Shō in Japanese. In Japan he is far more widely known by the name 太公望 (Taikōbō). ↩︎
  2. Here is a direct Google Maps link to the Zhouyuan area (周原), the early political center of the Zhou people in present-day Shaanxi, China: https://maps.google.com/?q=34.49,107.84
    This points to the core region of the Zhouyuan archaeological site (near Qishan and Fufeng counties, Baoji). ↩︎
  3. Qimen Dunjia (奇門遁甲) is one of the three classical Chinese divinatory systems known as the “Three Styles” (三式), together with Taiyi and Liuren. It is a complex method of cosmological calculation and strategic divination that combines time, space, direction, and human action. ↩︎

Title 道教の本 ― 不老不死をめざす仙道呪術の世界 (Dōkyō no Hon – Furōfushi o Mezasu Sendō Jujutsu no Sekai)

Series NEW SIGHT MOOK / Books Esoterica 4 (ＮＳＭブックス エソテリカ)

Publisher 学習研究社 (Gakken)

Publication date September 19, 1992 (some listings note 1993 reprints)

ISBN 978-4-05-600031-3 (ISBN-10: 405600031X)

Format A5 softcover mook, 223 pages Original price: ¥1,068 (tax included)

The post 太公望と天津蹈鞴 Taikōbō and the Amatsu Tatara appeared first on 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu.…

Tiny Insects: Japan Report Two 令和7年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


When I travel to Japan it seems like I race from class to class. Or, I race from train to train through Tokyo to explore the historic sites of Japan and our Bujinkan art. But here I stopped the race to enjoy training with Nagase Sensei and think about tiny insects.

I slowed down for 考え事 kangaegoto with deep thoughts about a class I had with Hatsumi Sensei. He demonstrated evading an attack to the outside. Then Soke used his shoulders to support the attack briefly before dropping them. This allowed him to secretly take 子殺 ko goroshi. The opponent never saw it, but he yelped in pain.

Tiny Insects

Hatsumi Sensei then shared a lesson about あも一寸の玉 虫 amo issun no tama  mushi. This is a a gokui found in 高木揚心流 Takagi Yoshin Ryū. It has to do with the relationship of the strong and weak. The strong seek to control through strength. But Soke suggests we control lightly so we don’t get “stung.”

あも一寸の玉 虫 painting by Hatsumi Sensei
The concept of even tiny insects having a soul has an ura and omote. Back during the 鎌倉時代, Kamakura era; 1185–1333, 北条重時 Hōjō Shigetoki wrote 極楽寺殿御消息 Gokurakuji dono goshōsoku. These are messages from Gokurakuji palace explaining the ethos of a samurai. In it he advised, 一寸の虫にも五分の魂 Issun no mushi ni mo gobu no tamashī. This means even small tiny insects have a soul.

Maybe this is why Hatsumi Sensei said that amo issun no tama mushi is the kamae of the heart. This is both an encouragement and a warning. If you are the weaker opponent, you may find the spirit to fight on. But, the opposite is that the weak have a spirit and will to survive. They may be underestimated to surprise the strong with daring, unconventional tactics.


Training with Nagase Sensei

After my meditation on tiny insects, I went to class with Nagase Sensei. When I arrived at the dojo, he greeted me warmly and immediately invited me to his house for shuriken training.

Nagase started class with a waza similar to 霞雷 karai. During this, he focused on plus and minus, inside and outside, heaven and earth. All of these were connected through the person. As you may remember, I have described his ideas on 天地人 tenchijin during other visits to Japan.

He told us that all of his techniques are connected in an infinity. He said that he’s been training for 46 years. During this time he has collected many data points. He described those points in the form of inputs to his body. He emphasized that it wasn’t his mind that held this data, but his body.

I definitely experienced some of that data. He gave me some training input in the form of pain that I won’t forget. Sometimes doing ukemi in his class feels impossible. He applies the technique in a very intense way. He only releases you to take ukemi right at the break point.

Nagase Sensei is aware of this. And I have to trust him to release me at the right moment. So I accept the pain and add it to my own data collection.

Then as he progressed with the form, he emphasized kamae like 左右の一文字 sayū no ichimonji where both hands act as 大小 daishō. And he spent a lot of time with 攻勢之構 kōsei no kamae. Each kamae provides its own interpretation of the form.

The kōsei henka that he did finished like 雪耀 setsuyaku. The ukemi was impossible because he locked up both hands and lifted us to the heavens. We had to trust him to release us.

During this he also wrapped his 帯 obi around a wrist. He compared the length of the ends of his obi to the length of a tsuka on sword. This led into the progression from taijutsu, to bōjutsu, to kenjutsu. You might lock up the opponent’s wrist with a sageo or trap it with your tsuka.

Nagase Sensei finished class with some 半棒術 hanbōjutsu variations. He kept telling us to use 地 chi power. The hanbō was touching the earth and he used that as a fulcrum point for leverage on the wrist.

As usual I had a great time in his class. I look forward to the shuriken training at his house. Please check Rojodojo for the next Japan Reports.

 …

武風 Bufū by Takamatsu Sensei

From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu

武風 Bufū by Takamatsu Sensei

Bufū by Takamatsu Sensei
Transcribed by Goroku, might contain errors.

武風 Bufū by Takamatsu Sensei in question is a classical Japanese martial manifesto written in kanbun (漢文) style—formal classical Chinese as traditionally composed and read in Japan. This elevated literary form was commonly used for official proclamations, school founding statements, and philosophical or martial writings that aimed to carry authority and permanence.

The Bufū document is a deliberate adaptation of the famous Kōdōkan-ki (弘道館記), composed in 1838. The original was written under the name of Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth lord of the Mito domain, though the actual drafting was largely the work of the prominent Mito scholar Fujita Tōko. The Kōdōkan-ki served as the founding manifesto of the Kōdōkan, the large domain school established in Mito. It defines “the Way” (道) as the natural order of Heaven and Earth that people must never abandon, explains why a school was needed to promote it, and calls upon the domain’s people to uphold loyalty, learning, and proper conduct. The text is one of the most influential expressions of late-Edo Mito learning and the sonnō jōi ideology.

Takamatsu Toshitsugu took this highly respected classical text and systematically rewrote it. He preserved the overall structure, rhetorical patterns, and much of the formal language, but replaced the central concept of “promoting the Way” (弘道) with the martial way and the martial wind (武道 / 武風). Political and Confucian references were transformed into statements about the eternal martial spirit. Tokugawa Ieyasu as the restorer of order became “our martial ancestors,” and the purpose of the domain school became the duty to transmit and uphold true Budō. The result is a martial manifesto clothed in the authoritative language and form of a celebrated late-Edo document.

This kind of rewriting, sometimes called tenka, was a recognised way of giving new ideas historical weight and legitimacy by linking them to respected classical models. By adapting the Kōdōkan-ki, Takamatsu elevated the concept of Bufū—the martial wind or continuous martial spirit—into something that carried the dignity of traditional scholarship while remaining firmly rooted in the warrior tradition.

The colophon at the end makes the personal intention clear. It states that the text was carefully written (or copied) by Takamatsu, the 33rd-generation head of Togakure-ryū, specifically for Hatsumi Masaaki, who would become the 34th generation. This indicates that the document was not a general essay but a formal transmission piece, presented from teacher to successor as part of the living inheritance of the martial way.

In this form, the text functions both as a philosophical statement on the nature of true Budō and as a personal charge from Takamatsu to Hatsumi: to preserve, clarify, and continuously embody the martial wind across generations.

武風 Bufū by Takamatsu Sensei

What is a person of the martial way? It is one who can expand and promote the Correct Way. What is the Correct Way? It is the natural order of Heaven and Earth, from which people receive life, and from which they must never turn away or separate, even for a moment.

What, then, is the “martial” in the martial way? It is that which is taught and transmitted.

Respectfully reflecting: In high antiquity the sacred deities established the ultimate principle and handed down the succession. Heaven and Earth took their proper places, and through their compassionate love all things were nurtured. They cultivated in human beings the feeling of flowers and the upright nature of bamboo, thereby nourishing the spirit. By this they illuminated the six directions and governed the entire realm. Never has this been accomplished by any means other than this Way.

By it the Imperial Throne is made everlasting, by it the national essence is made dignified, by it the people are made peaceful and secure.

The martial wind (Bufū), possessing the feeling of flowers and the nature of bamboo, causes all to submit. Yet even the sacred descendants of the gods were never content to rest in self-satisfaction; they gladly learned from others so that the fragrance of the flower would remain unchanged.

Their benevolent and virtuous character was like that of the ancient sage-emperors of Tang and Yu and the Three Dynasties. Drawing upon this, they assisted the Imperial designs. Thus the Way became ever clearer, and no longer was there ceaseless contention and defeat in battle.

However, after the defeat in war, the heretical doctrines of “freedom” and “equality” deceived the people and confused the world. Foreign winds and distorted learning entered from all sides. The Imperial civilizing influence declined, calamities and disorders followed one upon another, and the great Way of the martial wind became unclear in the world. This has already been long the case.

Our martial ancestors restored order from chaos, revered the Heavenly position, expelled the barbarian winds, and truly united the martial wind with the literary heart, thereby laying the foundation of great peace. Our ancestral teacher, from the day he received investiture in the eastern land, caused all the people of Yamato to admire the beautiful customs, revere the Way of the Gods, and cultivate martial preparedness. The national prestige shone proudly across the seas. For more than two thousand six hundred years the successive generations have inherited the thread of the Way and bathed in its blessings, down to the present day.

Therefore, if one is truly a subject and child of the nation, how can one fail to consider how to promote and expand the martial wind and make manifest the virtue of the ancestors? This is precisely the reason the nation itself exists.

Moreover, the enshrinement of Amaterasu Ōmikami, Marishiten, and Hachiman Daibosatsu is so that the vast sincerity of Heaven’s merit may shine clearly like the sun, and so that their awe-inspiring spiritual power may remain here. In spirit we desire to trace back to the origin and repay the root, so that the people may know from whence the martial wind comes.

The building of Confucian temples is so that the Way of the Tang, Yu and Three Dynasties may be harmonized here. We revere their virtue and draw upon their teaching, so that people may understand that the reason the martial wind grows ever greater and clearer is no accident.

Alas! Let the gentlemen and people throughout our country, day and night without negligence, enter and leave the martial training halls. Uphold the legacy of the Divine Land together with the teachings of the Western scholars. Make loyalty and filial piety one. Keep the literary and the martial undivided. Let learning and practical affairs not diverge. Let the result be reverence for the gods and esteem for Confucianism, free from partiality or faction. Let all with one mind exert their collective strength, so as to repay the boundless grace of the nation.

Is this merely the will of the ancestral teachers alone? We look up and hope that the spirit of the Divine Emperor in Heaven will also look down and bear witness.

The teaching of the ancient martial way is pure and governing.

Written with care by Takamatsu Toshitsugu 33rd Generation Sōke of Togakure-ryū
For the 34th Generation Hatsumi Masaaki (with seal)

Bufū Transcribed by Goroku

武道者何人能弘正道也。正道者何天地之自然而生民不可順災離者也。武道之武何為教傳也。恭惟上古神聖立極垂統天地位焉慈愛以萬物育焉人花情竹性之養精神其所。以照臨六合統御宇內者未嘗不由斯道也。寶祚以之無窮國體以之尊嚴蒼生以之安寧。花情竹性武風以之率服而聖子神孫尚不肯自足樂取於人以為花之香不変。色慈愛善乃若西上唐虞三代治教資以賛皇猷於是斯道愈明而無復尚争敗戰以降。自由平等之異端邪說誣民惑世外風曲学舎此從彼皇化陵夷禍亂相踵武風大道之不明於世也蓋亦久矣。我武祖撥亂反正尊天位攘夷風允武風文心以開大平之基。吾祖師日実受封於東土凡大和民於慕美風尊神道繕武備国威海外為翹勇来二千六百餘年世承道緒沐浴恩澤以至今日。則苟為臣子者豈可弗思所以推弘武風發揚先德乎。此則國家之所以為設也。抑夫祀天照大神摩利支天八幡大菩薩者以莫亮天功於日倫留威靈於茲精神欲原其始報其本使民知武風之所絲来也。其營孔子廟者何以唐虞三代之道折衷於此欲欽其德資其教使人知武風之所以益大且明不偶然也。嗚呼我國中士民風夜匪懈出入武道場奉神州之遺資西士之教忠孝允二文武不岐学問事業不殊其效敬神崇儒兼有偏黨衆思宣群力以報国家無窮之恩豈徒祖師之志乎。望神皇在天之靈亦将降鑒矣。古武道教以純治。

戸隠流三十四代 戸隠流三十三代宗家 為初見良昭 高松寿嗣謹写（印）

Notes on the Bufū text

  1. 武道者何人能弘正道也 Directly modelled on the opening of the 1838 Kōdōkan-ki (“弘道者何。人能弘道也”). The substitution of 武道 / 正道 for 弘道 is the central rewriting of the entire piece.
  2. 天地之自然而生民不可順災離者也 Adaptation of the classical phrase “天地之大經而生民不可須臾離者也”. “順災” is an unusual wording (possibly a calligraphic or stylistic variant) for the idea of going against or abandoning the natural order.
  3. 花情竹性 A refined classical metaphor. “花情” suggests sensitivity and aesthetic feeling; “竹性” suggests uprightness, resilience, and purity. Together they describe the ideal cultivated character.
  4. 照臨六合統御宇內 Standard elevated kanbun diction for imperial or divine rule. “六合” = the six directions (heaven, earth, and the four cardinal points); “宇內” = all under heaven.
  5. 寶祚以之無窮國體以之尊嚴蒼生以之安寧 Parallel construction typical of formal Sino-Japanese prose. “寶祚” (imperial throne), “國體” (national essence/polity), and “蒼生” (the common people) form a classic triad.
  6. 唐虞三代 Tang (Yao) and Yu (Shun) are the legendary sage-emperors; the Three Dynasties are Xia, Shang, and Zhou. A standard Confucian reference to the golden age of ideal government.
  7. 自由平等之異端邪說 Strongly charged language. “異端邪說” is a classical term for heterodox or pernicious doctrines. Here it is applied to post-war democratic ideas (“freedom and equality”).
  8. 撥亂反正 A classical four-character phrase meaning “to quell disorder and restore correctness.” Originally used of sage-kings or great restorers; here applied to “our martial ancestors.”
  9. 天照大神・摩利支天・八幡大菩薩 A deliberate combination of the imperial sun goddess (Amaterasu), the Buddhist warrior deity Marishiten (especially revered by bushi), and Hachiman (god of war). Reflects the syncretic religious world of traditional Japanese martial culture.
  10. 文武不岐 Classical ideal of the unity of civil and military virtues (bunbu). The phrase insists that scholarship and martial practice must not be separated — a key theme in both the original Kōdōkan-ki and this martial rewriting.

弘道館記 Kodokan-ki

弘道館記 弘道者何人能弘道也道者何天地之大經而生民不可須臾離者也弘道之館何爲而 設也恭惟上古 神聖立極垂統天地位焉萬物育焉其所以照臨六合統御㝢内者未嘗不由斯道也 寶祚以之無窮國體以之尊嚴蒼生以之安寧蠻夷戎狄以之率服而 聖子神孫尚不肯自足樂取於人以爲善乃若西土唐虞三代之治敎資以賛 皇猷於是斯道兪大兪明而無復尚焉中世以降異端邪説誣民惑世俗儒曲學舎此從彼 皇化陵夷禍亂相踵大道之不明於世也蓋亦久矣我 東照宮撥亂反正尊 王攘夷允武允文以開太平之基吾祖 威公實受封於東土夙慕 日本武尊之爲人尊神道繕武備 義公繼述嘗發感於夷齊更崇儒敎明倫正名以藩 屏於 國家爾來百數十年世承遺緒沐浴恩澤以至今日則苟爲臣子者豈可弗思 所以推弘斯道發揚 先德乎此則館之所以爲設也抑夫祀 建御雷神者何以其亮天功於草昧留威靈於茲土欲原其始報其本使民知斯道之所 繇來也其營孔子廟者何以唐虞三代之道折衷於此欲欽其德資其敎使人知斯道之 所以益大且明不偶然也嗚嘑我國中士民夙夜匪解出入斯館奉 神州之道資西 土之敎忠孝无二文武不岐學問事業不殊其效敬神崇儒無有偏黨集衆思宣群力以 報 國家無窮之恩則豈徒 祖宗之志弗墜 神皇在天之靈亦將降鑒焉設斯館以統其治敎者誰權中納言從三位源朝臣齊昭也 天保九年歳次戊戌春三月齊昭撰文并書及篆額

Kodokanki by Tokugawa Nariaki written in 1838 and monument erected in 1840.

What is “promoting the Way”? It is that a person is able to expand and promote the Way. What is the Way? It is the great constant principle of Heaven and Earth, from which the people are born and which they must never leave even for a moment.

Why was the Hall for Promoting the Way established?

Respectfully reflecting: In high antiquity the sacred and divine established the ultimate principle and handed down the succession. Heaven and Earth took their proper places, and all things were nurtured. That by which they illuminated the six directions and governed all within the universe has never been accomplished by any means other than this Way.

By it the Imperial Throne is made everlasting, by it the national essence is made dignified, by it the common people are made peaceful and secure, and by it the barbarians of the four directions are made to submit.

Yet even the sacred sons and divine grandsons were never content to rest in self-satisfaction; they gladly learned from others in order to cultivate goodness. Just as they drew upon the governing and teaching of the sage-emperors of Tang and Yu and the Three Dynasties of the Western land to assist the Imperial designs, so this Way became ever greater and ever clearer, with nothing further to be added.

From the middle ages onward, however, heretical and pernicious doctrines deceived the people and confused the world. Vulgar Confucians and distorted learning abandoned this and followed that. The Imperial civilizing influence declined, calamities and disorders followed one upon another, and the great Way became unclear in the world. This has already been long the case.

Our Eastern Illuminating Prince (Tokugawa Ieyasu) quelled disorder and restored correctness, revered the Sovereign, expelled the barbarians, and truly united the martial and the civil, thereby laying the foundation of great peace. Our ancestor, Lord Mitsukuni, actually received investiture in the eastern land. From early on he admired the character of Yamato Takeru, revered the Way of the Gods, and cultivated martial preparedness. Lord Tsuna continued this work; inspired by the example of Bo Yi and Shu Qi, he further exalted Confucian teaching, clarified human relationships, and rectified names, thereby serving as a protective barrier for the nation.

For more than a hundred years since then, successive generations have inherited this legacy and bathed in its blessings, down to the present day. Therefore, if one is truly a subject and child of the nation, how can one fail to consider how to promote and expand this Way and make manifest the virtue of the ancestors? This is precisely the reason the Hall has been established.

Moreover, why is Take-mika-zuchi-no-kami enshrined? Because he manifested Heaven’s merit in the age of chaos and left his awe-inspiring spiritual power in this land. We desire to trace back to the origin and repay the root, so that the people may know from whence this Way comes.

Why is a Confucian temple maintained? So that the Way of Tang, Yu and the Three Dynasties may be harmonized here. We revere their virtue and draw upon their teaching, so that people may understand that the reason this Way grows ever greater and clearer is no accident.

Alas! Let the gentlemen and people throughout our country, day and night without negligence, enter and leave this Hall. Uphold the Way of the Divine Land and draw upon the teachings of the Western land. Make loyalty and filial piety one. Keep the literary and the martial undivided. Let learning and practical affairs not diverge in their results. Revere the gods and esteem Confucianism without partiality or faction. Gather the thoughts of the many and exert collective strength, so as to repay the boundless grace of the nation. Then not only will the will of the ancestral lords not fall to the ground, but the spirit of the Divine Emperor in Heaven will also look down and bear witness.

Who is it that has established this Hall in order to unify its governance and teaching? It is the Provisional Middle Counsellor, Junior Third Rank, Minamoto no Ason Nariaki.

Composed, written, and the seal-script title brushed by Nariaki in the third month of spring, the ninth year of Tenpō, the year of the Dog (1838).

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流儀名 Ryūgi-mei (Style Names in Classical Japanese Martial Arts)

From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu

流儀名 Ryūgi-mei (Style Names in Classical Japanese Martial Arts)

Ryūgi-mei, or style names in classical Japanese martial arts, often originated from claims of divine or mythical transmission. Early schools frequently attributed their founding to gods, Buddhas, tengu, or dreams in order to establish authority, reflecting the limited scientific thinking of the period. Others traced their lineage to mythological deities or historical figures such as Shōtoku Taishi or Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Some schools added their own insights and prefixed the character 新 (Shin, “new”), while others used place names, founder’s names, combined styles, or partial titles of famous schools. Style names could also express enlightenment, be bestowed by priests, or reflect the spirit of the age. Together with kata and transmission ranks, these Ryūgi-mei embody the founder’s philosophy and form a core part of Japan’s traditional martial culture.

Ryūgi-mei by Watanabe

Ryūgi-mei
A scene from a martial arts demonstration at Itsukushima Shrine (Wikipedia).

One of the distinctive characteristics of Japanese budō and bujutsu is that each school or style has been given its own unique “ryūgi-mei” (style name). In addition, each style has developed its own unique system of transmission ranks (teaching curriculum) along with the corresponding “den’i meishō” (transmission rank titles). Consequently, the rise and decline of Japanese budō and bujutsu throughout history can also be understood from the increase and decrease in the number of these style names.

During the Edo period, even when limited only to kenjutsu schools (including comprehensive martial arts schools and iaijutsu schools), the number is said to have reached three hundred or even five hundred styles. Today, however, that number has drastically declined, and only a small number of styles still exist. From this fact alone, it can be said that Japanese budō and bujutsu flourished during the Edo period but have declined in the present day. In this paper, I will examine the motives or justifications that earlier generations used when naming their styles, and further discuss the present state of traditional martial arts schools.


—Watanabe – Shinkage-ryū Dōgyō Sixty Years Memoir

In Shinkage-ryū Dōgyō: Sixty Years Memoir, Watanabe outlines the most common motives for the naming of martial arts styles (Ryūgi-mei).

Ryūgi-mei style names can be classified as follows

  1. Styles that claim to have received the deepest secrets through prayer to gods or Buddhas.
  2. Styles that claim to have been founded after receiving transmission from tengu or other mythical beings.
  3. Styles that claim a deity from the mythological age as their founder.
  4. Styles that claim a historical figure as their founder, asserting that they transmit ancient secrets from that person.
  5. Styles that added their own innovations or realizations to an existing style and prefixed the new name with the character “Shin” (New).
  6. Styles named for the purpose of distinguishing themselves from other branches of the same school.
  7. Styles that claimed orthodoxy of a traditional school, added their own realizations, and then changed the style name.
  8. Styles that claimed orthodoxy of a traditional school and added characters expressing that claim to the style name.
  9. Styles that claim to have recovered the sōke (headmastership) previously transferred to another family and restored the original style name.
  10. Styles named after the place where the style originated.
  11. Styles that prefixed a place name to the style name.
  12. Styles that combined several existing styles and gave the result a new name.
  13. Styles that indicated they were derived from an existing style.
  14. Styles named after a famous individual or family name.
  15. Styles that used an alternative name regardless of whether they were derived from another style.
  16. Styles whose name expressed the spiritual realization or level of attainment of the founder.
  17. Styles whose name was bestowed by a Buddhist priest or similar figure.
  18. Styles named after the personal name or art-name (gō) of the founder.
  19. Styles that used homophonous but differently written characters of a famous style’s name.
  20. Styles that prefixed part of the name of a famous style.
  21. Styles that used terms reflecting the trends or spirit of the times.
  22. Styles named after a training hall or organizational body.
  23. Styles that adopted a common or popular name as their official style name.
  24. Styles that abandoned their original name and adopted the name of a famous style.
  25. Styles that arbitrarily used the name of a style that had already become extinct.
  26. Styles that arbitrarily used the name of a completely different existing martial art style.
  27. Other.

The Ryūgi-mei above was from Shinkage-ryū Dōgyō: Sixty Years Memoir by Watanabe.

新陰流兵法 Shinkage-ryū Hyōhō

This lineage belongs to the Owari Yagyū branch of Shinkage-ryū. While the better-known Edo Yagyū line served the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo, the Owari line was established by Yagyū Hyōgo-no-suke Toshitoshi and became the official sword tradition of the Owari Tokugawa domain in Nagoya.

The transmission remained closely linked to the Owari Tokugawa family for generations. In the early 20th century, the last Yagyū heads of this branch—Yagyū Toshichika (19th) and Yagyū Toshinaga (20th)—passed the complete teachings to their senior student Watanabe Tadatoshi (21st). He in turn transmitted everything to his son Watanabe Tadanari (22nd), who founded the Shinkage-ryū Hyōhō Marobashi-kai in 1969. The lineage is now headed by the 23rd generation, Watanabe Tadahisa.

This branch is characterized by its commitment to preserving the full classical curriculum, including Shinkage-ryū kenjutsu, Seigō-ryū Battōjutsu, and related jōjutsu. Central to its teaching is the principle of marobashi (adaptive, continuous movement). Unlike many modern groups, it remains a relatively closed classical transmission focused on historical accuracy and the correct use of the style name “Shinkage-ryū.”

傳系 Denkei

GenerationTitleReal NameActive Period
Founder上泉武蔵守 (Kamiizumi Musashi-no-kami)藤原 秀綱 (Fujiwara Hidetuna)c. 1508 – 1577
2nd柳生但馬守 (Yagyū Tajima-no-kami)平 宗厳 (Taira Munetoshi)1527 – 1606
3rd柳生兵庫助 (Yagyū Hyōgo-no-suke)平 利厳 (Taira Toshitoshi)1579 – 1650
4th尾張権大納言 (Owari Gon-dainagon)徳川 義直 (Tokugawa Yoshinao)1601 – 1650
5th柳生兵助 (Yagyū Hyōsuke)平 厳包 (Taira Toshikane)mid-17th century
6th尾張権大納言 (Owari Gon-dainagon)徳川 光友 (Tokugawa Mitsutomo)1625 – 1700
7th尾張権中納言 (Owari Gon-chūnagon)徳川 綱誠 (Tokugawa Tsunanari)1652 – 1699
8th柳生兵庫 (Yagyū Hyōgo)平 厳延 (Taira Toshinobu)late 17th – early 18th c.
9th尾張中納言 (Owari Chūnagon)徳川 吉通 (Tokugawa Yoshimichi)1689 – 1713
10th柳生六郎兵衛 (Yagyū Rokurōbei)平 厳儔 (Taira Toshitomo)early–mid 18th century
11th柳生兵助 (Yagyū Hyōsuke)平 厳春 (Taira Toshiharu)mid-18th century
12th尾張宰相中将 (Owari Saishō Chūjō)徳川 治行 (Tokugawa Haruyuki)mid–late 18th century
13th柳生又右衛門 (Yagyū Mataemon)平 厳之 (Taira Toshiyuki)late 18th century
14th柳生兵助 (Yagyū Hyōsuke)平 厳久 (Taira Toshihisa)late 18th – early 19th c.
15th尾張権大納言 (Owari Gon-dainagon)徳川 斉朝 (Tokugawa Naritomo)1793 – 1850
16th柳生新六 (Yagyū Shinroku)平 厳政 (Taira Toshimasa)early–mid 19th century
17th柳生忠次郎 (Yagyū Chūjirō)平 厳蕃 (Taira Toshishige)mid-19th century
18th尾張中納言 (Owari Chūnagon)徳川 慶恕 (Tokugawa Yoshikumi)mid-19th century
19th柳生三五郎 (Yagyū Sangorō)平 厳周 (Taira Toshichika)late 19th – early 20th c.
20th柳生兵庫 (Yagyū Hyōgo)平 厳長 (Taira Toshinaga)early–mid 20th century
21st渡辺遠山 (Watanabe Tōzan)源 忠敏 (Minamoto Tadatoshi)c. 1905 – 1980s
22nd渡辺転心 (Watanabe Tenshin)源 忠成 (Minamoto Tadanari)1941 – present (active)
23rd渡辺転政 (Watanabe Tensei)源 忠久 (Minamoto Tadahisa)late 20th c. – present

Shinkage-ryū Books

渡辺忠成 (Watanabe Tadanari) 22nd Generation Head of Shinkage-ryū Hyōhō (Also known by the art-name Tenshin 転心)

Watanabe Tadanari was born in Tokyo in 1941. He began training in Shinkage-ryū at the age of seven under his father, Watanabe Tadatoshi (21st generation), who had received the full transmission from the last two heads of the Owari Yagyū line, Yagyū Toshichika and Yagyū Toshinaga.

In January 1969, at the age of 28, he founded the Shinkage-ryū Hyōhō Marobashi-kai (新陰流兵法転会) with the purpose of correctly preserving and transmitting the classical teachings of the school. In 1972 he formally succeeded as the 22nd generation head of Shinkage-ryū Hyōhō. He also holds the positions of 14th generation of Seigō-ryū Battōjutsu and 9th generation of Shinkage-ryū Jōjutsu.

Throughout his career he has emphasized the importance of historical accuracy, particularly regarding the proper use of the style name “Shinkage-ryū” rather than the more popular but, in his view, incorrect designation “Yagyū Shinkage-ryū.” He is the author of several works on the school, including Shinkage-ryū Nyūmon and the autobiographical Shinkage-ryū Dōgyō: Sixty Years Memoir (新陰流道業六十年回顧録), in which he reflects on more than six decades of training and teaching.

He has taught extensively in Japan and has established groups in the United States, Russia, and Poland.

The Dojo is still active today in several locations in Tokyo and Japan, here is more information.

Shinkage-ryū Heihō Marobashikai / Tenshinkai

新陰流道業六十年回顧録
Shinkage-ryū Dōgyō Rokujūnen Kaikoroku

Author: 渡辺忠成 (Watanabe Tadanari)
Publisher: 新陰流兵法転会出版部 (Shinkage-ryū Hyōhō Marobashi-kai Publishing Division)
Publication date: 20 February 2009 (Heisei 21)

Tadashige Watanabe, the 22nd head of the Shinkage-ryu school of swordsmanship,
Tadashige Watanabe, 
the 22nd head of the Shinkage-ryu school of swordsmanship,

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高木流捕棒序 Takagi-ryū Toribō (Cane/Staff Techniques)

From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu

高木流捕棒序 Takagi-ryū Toribō (Cane/Staff Techniques)

I came across an interesting webpage featuring two photographs from an old scroll titled Takagi-ryū Toribō (Takagi-ryū Cane/Staff Techniques) from 1816.

The author is somewhat skeptical about the historical claims surrounding Kukishin-ryū and Takagi-ryū, but I’m not here to debate that. I simply found the content fascinating and thought it might be of interest to fellow Bujinkan practitioners.

I was surprised to learn that Takagi-ryū includes dedicated cane (jō/toribō) techniques. The scroll itself is quite unique, especially the description of the unusual staff with eye-shaped holes and an inserted tantō.

Note: I only translated parts of the website and the makimono to the best of my knowledge, so the translation may contain some errors or inaccuracies.

If any of you have access to the complete makimono or more information about these techniques, I’d love to see it!

Below is the translated text from the website.

The moon points and knocks at the gate — tiles slip and lose their alignment.

Silent and formless, without outward manifestation, those who try to explain it are like darkness.

A faint lamp in the night — all is emptiness.

Reaching that point, how subtle it is! How dynamic it is!

It cannot be fully revealed. In short, I have conveyed its true essence.

高木流捕棒序 Takagi-ryū Toribō

Now, there exists a certain transmission scroll. Its title is Takagi-ryū Toribō (Takagi-ryū Cane/Staff Techniques), published in the 13th year of the Bunka era (1816). The lineage of successors recorded at the end of the scroll is as follows:

大国八九郎 　　Ōkuni Hachikurō　　
大国太郎太夫 　Ōkuni Tarōdayū
大国武右衛門　Ōkuni Takeuemon　　(and so on)

Takagi-ryū Toribō Makimono

Preface to Takagi-ryū Toribō (Cane / Staff Techniques)

There is no one who would say that the wondrous techniques of Takagi-ryū are not profound. Nevertheless, because of this, people seek new interpretations. Therefore, I now record the great outline of our school’s cane techniques.
Truly: The moon points and knocks at the gate — tiles slip and lose their alignment. Silent and formless, without outward manifestation, those who try to explain it are like darkness. A faint lamp in the night — all is emptiness. Reaching that point, how subtle it is! How dynamic it is! It cannot be fully revealed. In short, I have conveyed its true essence.

Omote no Tsuji (Outer Sequence)

  1. Go Hō (Five Directions)
  2. Migi Mi (Right Body)
  3. Hidari Mi (Left Body)
  4. Gyōgo Tō (Moving Attack / Marching Attack)
  5. Shoku Kun (Weaving Sovereign / Wrapping Lord)

Ijō (End)

裏之次序 Ura no Tsuji (Inner Sequence)

高木流捕棒序

夫-高水流之炊所女
寒世事無言不知學式
人此故斯略表由今當
家捕捧之大組記右此
誠標月指敲門瓦失維
然莫無表頸說者如閣
夜微燈皆空相及至其
者微哉动哉不得頸其
宽略通其情畢

表之次汤

一　五　方
一　右　身
一　左　身
一　行午討
一　織　君

以上
裏之次汤

Toribō Description

Takagi-ryū Toribō Description

一笠内
一前
一後

長サ　　長サ
四尺　　四尺
三寸　　三寸

長サ四二八二一寸

極意
一金則

Ikkanai (One inside the hat / One within the cover)
Ippen (One forward)
Ichigo (One rear)

Length 　　　　Length
Four shaku 　　(approx. 129.7 cm)
Three sun　　

Length: 4 shaku 2 sun 8 bu 2 rin 1 sun (approx. 129.7 cm)

Gokui (Secret Principle)
Ikkinoku (One Golden Rule)

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Jinchū Kyūsho: A Vital Point in Classical Japanese Jūjutsu

From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu

Jinchū Kyūsho: A Vital Point in Classical Japanese Jūjutsu

Jinchū Kyūsho ranks among the most frequently documented Kyūsho points in classical Japanese martial arts. People know it as 人中 Jinchū (“Center of the Human”). It appears across numerous Koryū traditions as a precise target in the facial region. Study of this point forms part of the larger system of 当身 Atemi (“Striking the Body”) and 殺活 Satsukatsu (“Killing and Reviving”) methods. Old transmission documents preserve these methods.

This essay is mostly gathered from the book 当身殺活術の極意 Atemi Satsukatsujutsu no Gokui written by 小佐野 Jun Osano, supplemented with my own experience of Bujinkan training and its nine schools/ryuha. In Bujinkan we often refer to the Kyūsho points from Kotō-ryū.

What Is Jinchū Kyūsho and Where Is It Located?

Jinchū Kyūsho
人中 (Jinchū/philtrum) is a 鬼穴 Ki-ana (Ghost Point) dangerous or “supernatural” vital point that are considered extremely effective or lethal.

Jinchū Kyūsho refers to the philtrum. This vertical groove sits between the base of the nose and the upper lip. Chinese medical texts that reached Japan recorded the corresponding point as 水溝 Suikō (“Water Ditch”). Traditional Chinese Medicine calls it Rénzhōng (GV26). Japanese martial artists adopted the point and renamed it within their own vital-point systems.

Its location makes Jinchū accessible during close-range engagements. These engagements typify Jūjutsu. As a result, practitioners incorporated Jinchū into sequences that combine striking with throws and joint locks. Its position runs along the central facial line. Therefore, it became a practical target in many forms.

Historical Roots of Jinchū Kyūsho in Japanese Martial Traditions

Japanese martial schools received knowledge of Jinchū Kyūsho through Chinese medical theory. This transmission occurred during the early Edo period (1603–1868). Texts such as the 和漢三才図会 Wakan Sansai Zue supplied anatomical maps. Various acupuncture manuals also provided these maps. Koryū masters adapted the maps.

Masters reorganised these points into Japanese systems over generations. They did not treat Jinchū as an independent striking technique. Instead, they integrated it as an auxiliary method. This method disrupts posture or creates openings for Nage (Throwing) and Katame (Grappling). In addition, the approach aligns with the historical emphasis on 神武不殺 Shinbu Fussatsu (“The highest martial skill does not kill”). Many transmission scrolls contain this phrase. Consequently, Jinchū remained part of a controlled and ethical framework.

Kikaku-ken to Jinchū Kyūsho
In the technique 神剪 Shinsen from Koto-ryū Ōkuden Kata the Jinchū point is hit with Kikaku-ken.

Jinchū Kyūsho Across Major Koryū Schools

Jinchū Kyūsho appears in the teachings of several established schools. In 楊心流 Yōshin-ryū lineages, including 天神真楊流 Tenjin Shinyō-ryū, it appears in lists of head points. Masters transmitted these lists through secret scrolls and oral instruction. 関口流 Sekiguchi-ryū records Jinchū under the local term すりかけ Surikake. The school includes related facial techniques among its 内術十二 Nai-jutsu Jūni (“Twelve Internal Techniques”) methods.

柴真楊流 Shiba Shinyō-ryū places Jinchū within its classification of thirteen head acute points. 神道六合流 Shintō Rokugō-ryū lists it among points that produce immediate effects. 柳生心眼流兵術 Yagyū Shingan-ryū Heijutsu incorporates similar facial targets within its continuous atemi sequences. These references show consistent recognition of Jinchū across diverse traditions. Moreover, they reveal variation in naming and emphasis. For example, some schools used local names while others retained the standard term.

Jinchū Kyūsho and the Art of Revival (Kappō)

Classical sources pair knowledge of striking points with revival methods. These methods are known as 活法 Kappō (“Resuscitation techniques”). Jinchū receives particular attention. Stimulation of the facial nerve in this area can reduce the immediate effectiveness of standard revival techniques.

Transmission documents therefore stress the need for layered revival protocols. This need arises when the point is involved. The requirement for precise revival knowledge alongside striking methods appears repeatedly in Yōshin-ryū and Tenjin Shinyō-ryū materials. These references reflect the integrated nature of Satsukatsu training. As a result, students had to master both striking and revival together.

Boshi-ken to Jinchū Kyūsho
In the technique 跋扈 Bakko from Koto-ryū Hekiten Kata the Jinchū point is hit with a Boshi-ken.

Jinchū Kyūsho in the Context of Kyūsho Training

Jinchū Kyūsho represents one element within the broader study of 急所 Kyūsho (“Vital points”). Traditional training did not isolate individual points for separate practice. Students instead learned point locations, effects, and timing. They learned these elements as part of complete Kata sequences. These sequences combined Atemi with throwing and controlling techniques.

The book records that practitioners most often applied Jinchū as 先当て Saki-ate (“Preemptive strike”). They used it to break an opponent’s structure. They also applied it as 後当て Ato-ate (“Finishing strike”) after a throw. The goal was to prevent counterattack. Exact methods of application and the accompanying oral instructions varied between schools. Licensed practitioners alone received these instructions. In particular, the timing of the strike depended on the specific kata.

Integration of Jinchū Kyūsho in Koryū Technique

In the technique 蔽飛 Hetsubi/Henpi from Koto-ryū Chūden Kata the Jinchū point is hit with the left five fingers after unbalancing him.

In practice, Jinchū supported the primary goals of Jūjutsu. It did not replace them. Strong stimulation here could affect facial nerves and coordination. This effect created a momentary opening for more decisive techniques. Historical records caution that the resulting effects made reliable revival more difficult. This difficulty explains why such points stayed within advanced levels of transmission.

The detailed classifications found in Shiba Shinyō-ryū illustrate how seriously masters treated these methods. The warnings preserved in later 史料編 Shiryō-hen documents also show this seriousness. Study of Kyūsho, including Jinchū, formed part of a larger technical and ethical framework. It did not function as an independent striking curriculum. Furthermore, this integrated approach helped preserve the original intent of the art.

Conclusion

Jinchū Kyūsho appears consistently across multiple Koryū schools. This pattern shows how Japanese martial artists systematically adapted external medical knowledge. They turned it into functional combative systems. Its role remained auxiliary. It supported throws and joint locks while demanding careful attention to revival methods.

Modern examination of these traditions reveals both the sophistication and the limitations of the original teachings. Researchers continue to find interest in Jinchū. It exemplifies the integrated approach to atemi and kappō. This approach defined much of classical Jūjutsu. Serious study of Kyūsho as a complete subject offers the clearest path to understanding this aspect of Japanese martial heritage. Researchers gain clearer insight when they avoid isolating individual points. In addition, this broader perspective helps preserve the original technical and ethical balance of the traditions.

Historical Source: From Tenjin Shinyō-ryū to Jūdō, and then to Karate

The Atemi shikatsu methods transmitted by Tenjin Shinyō-ryū Jūjutsu, which enjoyed great prosperity in the late Edo period, have almost completely died out except for seikotsu techniques. Kōdōkan Jūdō, which eliminated Atemi from its technical system, continued practical instruction while theory alone continued independently. Meanwhile, Karate, transmitted from Okinawa to the mainland during the Taishō era, also carried over only solo forms from China to Okinawa and then to the mainland; the essential Atemi theory was supplemented from Kōdōkan Jūdō when kumite was created.

However, from the mid-Shōwa period onward, as competitive Karate spread mainly in universities, attack targets were standardized into jōdan, chūdan, and gedan, expanding from points to areas, rendering knowledge of vital points unnecessary. Vital point knowledge, which is important for self-defense, also became superfluous due to sportification (use of protective gear and controlled contact).

Here, explanations of vital points in Meiji-era Jūdō and in Karate up to the early Shōwa period, which still retained elements of self-defense, are introduced as material for considering the differences between the two.

While Jūdō’s Atemi explanations follow those of classical Jūjutsu, in Karate it is stated that “the opponent is brought to death,” and the free control of killing and reviving has been lost. Of course, there is no explanation of kappō.

In other words, rather than a self-defense art that does not injure the opponent, it has become a killing art that kills the opponent — the result of a complete failure to understand the principles of martial arts.

講道館柔道の急所解説
Kōdōkan Jūdō Vital Point Explanations

(from ‘Kassatsu Jizai Jūdō Gokui Kyōhan’ by Iguchi Yoshitame, Shōwa 8)

〇天道 Tentō (Heavenly Path)
The area of the frontal bone. Tentō is the top of the head. Tendō is the place on the head where the pulse is struck, commonly called “odori-ko” in children. Striking Tendō strongly causes the three major bones of the head to open and leads to death. There is no revival method. If one faints from striking Tendō, revive with breathing techniques or the inducing revival (Yū no Kappō). It is a vital point that reaches the heart.

〇烏兔 Uto (Crow and Rabbit)
The center of the face, between both eyes above the nose. When struck, it causes dizziness and fainting. Striking even one sun away from this point is a vital point that can cause nosebleeds.

〇人中 Jinchū (Human Center / Philtrum)
The exact center between the nose and upper lip. Extremely important. When struck strongly, it is difficult to revive even with breathing techniques or revival methods. It affects the facial artery, nerves, bones of the upper jaw, trigeminal nerve, respiratory obstruction, etc. It is a major killing point. Must be handled with extreme caution.

〇カツコン Katsukon
The place between the chin and lower lip. This strike is the same as Jinchū. Even if revival methods are applied, they are ineffective. The causes are the same as above.

〇霞 Kasumi (Mist)
The temple bones, commonly called “komekami.” Striking here causes severe brain reaction and disturbance of various nerves, leading to fainting.

〇両毛 Ryōmō (Both Hairs)
Used frequently in forms together with Kasumi. It is at both corners of the eyes, one sun below Kasumi. Striking here causes fainting in the same way as above.

〇独古 Dokko (Solitary Ancient)
The place behind both ears. It is frequently used in forms. It is the area behind the ear. Striking here strongly affects the origin of the ear muscles and the area behind the ear, pressing blood vessels and nerves.

〇秘中 Hichū (Secret Center)
This Hichū is the first major killing point used in forms, randori, and pinning techniques. The center of the throat, above the sternum. It drives the windpipe, damages the respiratory organs, and affects the lungs, leading to fainting.

〇松風村雨 Matsukaze Murusame (Pine Wind and Village Rain)
Matsukaze (some schools call it Fūgetsu) and Murusame are the left and right sides of the shoulder blade and tongue muscle area (see diagram). The right is Matsukaze, the left is Murusame. These are major killing points.

〇膻中 Danchū (Danzhong)
Commonly called “mizuochi.” This strike is at the center of the sternum in the chest. When struck, it causes nerve shock, sudden change in blood circulation, and cessation of breathing, leading to fainting. However, it can be revived with inducing revival, heart revival, back revival, or collar revival.

〇雁下 Kari-shita (Below the Goose)
Kari-shita is striking one sun below both nipples in all four directions. The causes of fainting and revival methods are the same as above.

〇稲妻 Inazuma (Lightning)
Inazuma refers to the left and right sides of the floating ribs. Commonly called the third rib. The causes of fainting and revival methods are the same as for the abdomen.

〇水月 Suigetsu (Water Moon)
Suigetsu is striking directly below the heart at the lower end of the stomach organ. It stimulates the divine pulse and causes fainting due to three causes: brain reaction, nerve shock, and pulse obstruction. Revival is done with artificial respiration. If that does not work, use back revival or inducing revival.

〇明星 Myōjō (Bright Star)
Myōjō is kicking or striking one sun and four directions below the navel. It violently affects the large intestine, small intestine, and bladder, causing cessation of breathing. Revival is done with collar revival, scrotum revival, back revival, or artificial respiration.

〇陰囊 In-nō (Scrotum)
Striking the scrotum (commonly called testicles) by kicking or thrusting damages the bladder, rectum, testicles, sympathetic nerves, spermatic artery, etc., causing cessation of breathing. Apply scrotum revival. The testicles may enter the abdomen. Must be handled with great care.

〇向骨 Kōkotsu (Facing Bone)
Striking Kōkotsu only causes pain throughout the body and does not cause death. If fainting occurs, revive with inducing revival.

〇草靡 Kusanabi (Grass Bending)
Kusanabi is striking the place commonly called “tsuchi-fumazu” and the calf as shown in the diagram. The whole body feels pain and one falls.

〇内外踝 Nai-ge-kyō (Inner and Outer Ankle)
The ankle is the same as Kōkotsu. Pain reaches the brain but does not cause death. If fainting occurs, apply inducing revival.

〇早打 Hayachi (Early Strike)
Hayachi is the place where acupuncturists needle when the shoulders are severely stiff. Striking here sometimes leads to death. In such cases, rub the chest and apply inducing revival or collar revival. Striking here damages the brain, lungs, and ribs, causing cessation of breathing. Must not be needled carelessly. Very important.

〇活 Katsu (Revival)
This revival point is slightly to the left in men and to the right in women between the first and sixth or seventh vertebrae of the spine. This revival method is the most frequently used among the thirteen total revival methods.

〇電光 Denkō (Lightning)
Denkō: (1) Striking the third thoracic vertebra affects the lungs. (2) Striking the fifth thoracic vertebra affects the heart. (3) Striking the sixth thoracic vertebra causes fainting due to violent shock to the spinal cord center.

〇後稲妻 Go-inazuma (Rear Lightning)
Go-inazuma is the place shown in the diagram. Striking here causes pain throughout the body and one falls. Apply yin-yang revival to this place. Details are explained in the revival section.

〇下閨 Gekei (Lower Gate)
Gekei is the anus. Explanation regarding this is most essential for jujutsu practitioners and is explained in detail in the revival section of the volume.

〇尺澤 Shaku-taku
Shaku-taku is frequently used in forms. It is between the brachioradialis and extensor digitorum muscles. Striking here stimulates the nerves and causes fainting due to unbearable pain. It affects the radial nerve, ulnar nerve, and fascia.

空手の急所解説
Karate Vital Point Explanations

(from ‘Karate Nyūmon’ by Ishiguro Keishichi, Shōwa 43)

〇天道 Tentō (Heavenly Path)
The top of the head. Striking here with a forefist, fist, hand blade, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇天倒 Tentō (Heavenly Fall)
Commonly also called “odoriko.” Slightly forward from the top of the head. Striking here with a forefist, backfist, hand blade, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇霞 Kasumi (Mist)
The temples on both sides. Striking here with a one-finger fist, backfist, hand blade, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇耳 Mimi (Ear)
Same effect as Kasumi when attacked in the same way.

〇鳥兔 Uto (Crow and Rabbit)
The glabella, the center between the eyes. Striking here with a forefist, backfist, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇晴雲 Seiu (Clear Cloud)
Above and below both eyes. Attack here with spear hand, one-finger fist, or half-fist.

〇眼星 Gansei (Eye Star)
The center of the eyeball. Attack here with spear hand, one-finger fist, or backfist.

〇人中 Jinchū (Human Center / Philtrum)
The groove between the nose and mouth. Attack here with forefist, backfist, one-finger fist, hand blade, etc.

〇下昆 Gekon (Lower Kon)
The place between the mouth and lower jaw. Striking here with forefist, one-finger fist, hand blade, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇三日月 Mikazuki (Crescent Moon)
The chin. Attack here with forefist, foot hammer, elbow strike, etc.

〇独古 Dokko (Solitary Ancient)
Slightly behind the ear in the depression. Attack here with one-finger fist, fist, or hand blade.

〇頸中 Keichū (Neck Center)
The hollow at the back of the neck (bon-no-kubo). Striking here with forefist, fist, or one-finger fist can kill the opponent.

〇松風 Matsukaze (Pine Wind)
Also called Fūgetsu. The side of the head. Attack with clenched fist, fist, hand blade, elbow strike, etc., and it can kill the opponent.

〇村雨 Murusame (Village Rain)
The front side of the neck. Attacking in the same way as Matsukaze can kill the opponent.

〇秘中 Hichū (Secret Center)
Commonly called the Adam’s apple. Attack with clenched fist, elbow strike, knee blade, foot kick, etc.

〇膻中 Danchū (Danzhong)
The upper end of the breastbone. Attack in the same way as Hichū.

〇胸尖 Kyōsen (Chest Tip)
The lower end of the breastbone. Attack in the same way as Hichū.

〇水月 Suigetsu (Water Moon)
The solar plexus. Striking here with forefist, spear hand, elbow strike, knee blade, foot kick, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇脇影 Waki-kage (Armpit Shadow)
Between the fifth and sixth ribs in the armpit. Striking here with clenched fist, elbow strike, foot kick, etc., can kill the opponent.

〇雁中 Kanchū (Goose Center)
Below both nipples. Attack in the same way as Waki-kage.

〇電光 Denkō (Lightning)
Also called the flank. Between the seventh ribs on the front side of the upper abdomen. Striking here with forefist, fist, hand blade, or foot kick can kill the opponent.

〇稲妻 Inazuma (Lightning)
The front side of the upper abdomen at the lower end of the eleventh and twelfth floating ribs. Attack in the same way as Denkō to kill the opponent.

〇明星 Myōjō (Bright Star)
Commonly called the lower Tanden, one sun below the navel. Striking here with forefist or foot can kill the opponent.

〇早打 Hayachi (Early Strike)
On the back between the third and fourth ribs, inside the shoulder blade. Attack here with forefist or elbow strike.

〇活殺 Katsusatsu (Killing and Reviving)
Between the fifth and sixth vertebrae of the spine. Attack here in the same way as Hayachi to kill the opponent.

〇後電光 Go-denkō (Rear Lightning)
The lowest end of the spine, the coccyx. Striking here with forefist or foot kick can kill the opponent.

〇腕馴 Udenare (Arm Training)
The middle of the upper back side. Attack here with fist or hand blade.

〇时詰 Hijizume (Elbow Joint)
Also called the elbow joint. The outer side of the elbow. Attack in the same way as Udenare.

〇腕関節 Ude-kansetsu (Elbow Joint)
Twist or break the elbow joint, or attack with fist or hand blade.

〇小手 Kote (Forearm)
The forearm. Scissor or snap it, or attack with fist, hand blade, or elbow strike.

〇内小捕 Uchi-kote (Inner Forearm Capture)
Also called the pulse point. Attack here with forefist, one-finger fist, or fist.

〇外小捕 Soto-kote (Outer Forearm Capture)
The opposite side of the pulse point. Attack in the same way as Uchi-kote.

〇手甲 Tekō (Back of the Hand)
The back of the hand. Attack in the same way as Uchi-kote.

〇金的 Kinteki (Golden Target)
Also called Tsurigane. The testicles. Striking here with forefist, knee blade, foot kick, or clenched fist can kill the opponent.

〇夜光 Yakō (Night Light)
The front inner side of the upper thigh. Attack with forefist or foot kick.

〇伏兎 Fukuto (Crouching Rabbit)
The front outer side of the lower thigh. Attack in the same way as Yakō.

〇膝関節 Shitsu-kansetsu (Knee Joint)
Attack the knee joint with foot kick or stomp break.

〇向骨 Kōkotsu (Facing Bone)
The front center of the shin bone. Attack with forefist or foot kick.

〇內踝 Nai-ka (Inner Ankle)
Just below the inner ankle bone on the inner side of the tarsal bones. Attack here with hammer fist or hand blade.

〇甲利 Kōri (Top of the Foot)
The top of the foot. Attack with stomping crush, etc.

〇草隠 Kusagakure (Grass Hidden)
Slightly to the outer side from the top of the foot. Attack in the same way as Kōri.

〇尾胝 Bitai (Coccyx)
The lowest end of the sacrum. Attack here with knee blade.

〇後稲妻 Go-inazuma (Rear Lightning)
The upper center of the back side of the thigh. Attack with forefist or kick.

〇草靡 Kusanabi (Grass Bending)
The center of the back side of the lower leg. Attack with foot kick, etc.

小佐野淳 Osano Jun

Born in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture. While a student, studied Chinese martial arts and classical Jūjutsu at the Chigasaki branch of the All-Japan Chinese Kenpō Federation. In 1982, founded the Kobudō Shidōsho Suigetsu Juku. While teaching at Suigetsu Juku, trained in bujutsu transmitted in various former domains. Served as certified instructor, council member, auditor, and public relations director of the International Budo-in. Received the Budō Kōrō-shō (Martial Arts Meritorious Service Award) from the International Budo-in in 1992. Founded the International Suigetsu Juku Bujutsu Association in 2002 and assumed the positions of president and supreme instructor. Honorary advisor to the Jinmō Kenpō Association, Changhua County, Taiwan. Vice president of the Matsudaira-han Bunbu Gakkō Budōkai. Author of numerous books and papers.

当身殺活術の極意　〜古流柔術に伝わる秘伝打撃術〜 by 小佐野淳

Publisher ‏ : ‎ BABジャパン
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 22, 2025
Language ‏ : ‎ Japanese
Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 4814207301
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-4814207305
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 280 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.4 x 5 x 0.79 inches

The post Jinchū Kyūsho: A Vital Point in Classical Japanese Jūjutsu appeared first on 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu.…

BACK FROM JAPAN SEMINAR with MATS HJELM

From Budoshop.se by budoshop

BACK FROM JAPAN SEMINAR with MATS HJELM was filmed at TANRENKAI 4 Workshop in May 2026 in Sundbyberg.

Download Video $19.99

Shortly after his 54th training journey to Japan, he conducted a one-day seminar featuring Taijutsu, sword, naginata, and bisentō techniques. The training opened with Kihon Happō, followed by fresh, previously unnamed Taijutsu techniques and principles he had just brought back from his Japanese instructors.

The techniques covered at the seminar.

#Chapter TitleTime Stamp
1. Start00:00:00.00
2. KIHON HAPPO00:00:55.28
3. TAKAGIYOSHIN-RYU ATEKOMI00:25:25.20
4. TAKAGIYOSHIN-RYU GYAKUDORI00:27:35.72
5. TAKAGIYOSHIN-RYU KERIKOMI00:30:18.60
6. KUKISHIN-RYU BISENTO OSHIN00:33:48.28
7. KUKISHIN-RYU BISENTO KAKUGYAKU00:38:03.84
8. OSHIN (KENJUTSU)00:40:43.24
9. KAKUGYAKU (KENJUTSU)00:41:17.96
10. UDEORI00:42:18.64
11. KIHON HAPPO HENKA00:48:00.08
12. JODAN UKE NAGASHI00:49:09.48
13.End00:51:22.00
51 Minutes. The language is Swedish with English, Japanese, German and Spanish subtitles. 1920×1080. QuickTime Text, Subtitle, MPEG-4 AAC, H.264 Stereo. Download size 1.41 GB.
Download Video $19.99

Filmed from two camera angles with high-quality audio and tasteful groovy background music that supports rather than distracts from the instructions.

Short Movie Trailer

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983. It wasn’t until 1986 when he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidōshi. He has taught at numerous seminars all around the world, gone to Japan 3-5 times every year. After he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site toryu.se or come and train with him at Kaigozan Dojo.


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