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Complete GIKAN-RYU KOPPO TAIJUTSU With TORYU

From Budoshop.se by BUDOSHOP.SE

Complete GIKAN-RYU KOPPO TAIJUTSU with MATS HJELM was filmed at the Bujinkan 50 Year Anniversary in Norrköping spring 2025. The theme was Gikan-ryu Koppotaijutsu.

In this video, Mats Hjelm explores the art of Koppo Taijutsu through the lens of Gikan-ryū. He demonstrated the 10 fundamental techniques he learned from Noguchi Sensei during his trips between 2019-2025. Additionally, Mats taught many variations to the 10 techniques.

Download Complete GIKAN-RYU KOPPO TAIJUTSU with MATS HJELM

Experience the essence of Koppo Taijutsu and its applications within the Gikan-ryu system, as demonstrated and explained by Mats Hjelm.

Highlights Include:

  • 10 Fundamental Koppo Taijutsu techniques from Gikan-ryū
  • WIth many variations
  • 88 minutes play time

88 Minutes, HD1280x720, MP4, QuickTime Text, AAC, H.264. Download size 1.52Gb

Download Video $19.99

This video is from a Seminar in 2025. Recorded in Norrköping, Sweden in May 17-18’th 2025. The seminar was organised by Bujinkan Dojo Norrköping.

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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Gikan Ryū Koppōjutsu – article translation

From Wanderings in Budo by bujinshugyo

義鑑流骨法術
骨指術の流れを汲んで、16世紀に河内の爪生判官義鑑房が創始した。
この骨法術から続く流れには、もうひとつ鈴木大膳太郎近政の本体玉心流という骨法があり、それが出雲の深尾角馬重義に伝わって出雲骨法となったが、初見氏にはその流れが伝わっていない。

Koppojutsu

Gikan ryū koppōjutsu

Drawing from the transmission of kosshijustsu, founded in the 16th century in Kawachi by Uryū Hangan Gikanbō.
From this koppōjutsu transmission there is another koppō school called Hontai Gyokushin ryū by Suzuki Daizentaro Chikamasa, passed on to Fukao Kakuma Shigeyoshi as Izumo koppō, this school was not transmitted to Hatsumi sensei (aka this is not the one that was passed to Hatsumi)

爪生判官義鑑房 Uryū Hangan Gikanbō

判官 Hangan, Zō – judge or magistrate, this term originates from the Ritsuryo 律令 system introduced to Japan from China in the 7th Century – originally it indicated an administrator of the 3rd or 4th rank (out of 4).


義鑑 Gikan
Paragon of Justice

Most commonly Gikan ryū is referred to as the ‘Truth, Loyalry and Justice School’, this name being repeated throughout any site in English in relation to the Bujinkan (schools).

It may seem strange to many to point out this out, however Truth, Loyalty and Justice are differing meanings of the first character ‘Gi’ 義 – so really the ‘Truth, Loyalty and Justice School’ should be Gi ryū.

The more significant, and completely ignored, is the second character ‘kan’ 鑑, used to indicate several ideas from ‘to learn or take warning from’ or ‘a specimen or model’.

Gikan can be understood as the Example of Righteousness, Model of Honour, Paragon of Justice, Exemplar of Truth, To Take Heed of Morality.

Gikan ryū, to narrow it down in English parlance, can be the Paragon of Virtue or Paragon of Justice Style.

Example of loyalty

Gikan ryū is one of the 4 styles attributed to Gyokkan, who learnt the Gyokko ryū of Hachidō Nyūdō through Tozawa Hyakuunsai Kaneuji. Gikan ryū is passed though Ishitani Matsutarō Takakage and then on to Takamatsu Toshitsugu to arrive at Hatsumi Masaaki.


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