Koryu Budo Clips from Japan

[Kogusoku]

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 - To build fitness, precision in cutting, aggression and ki.)

(N.B. You might think the shrill screaming and repeated bashing of sticks to be comical or nonsensical, but imagine if it were an angry Satsuma (Modern day Kagoshima Prefecture) warrior in full berserker rage trying to cleave you down the middle. You'll soon see what I mean. )

Yokogi uchi

Next they performed some group iaijutsu exercises

iaijutsu

And lastly, they performed nodachi tai yari kata.

Nodachi Tai Yari

enjoy!

[Kogusoku]

Next is some Owari Kan-ryu

Owari Kan-ryu train not only in spear, but also in naginata, kamayari, Odachi and ken. Their kenjutsu comes from Yagyu Shinkage-ryu and also from Aisu Kage-ryu (Odachijutsu)

Sojutsu Shiai

Kan-ryu Sojutsu kata

Naginatajutsu

Aisu Kage-ryu Odachijutsu

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu kihon kenjutsu

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu kata

Apologies for bad camera work.

[Archibald]

wow...some awsoem clips Gunyo....thanks much!

I don't suppose you remember a small discussion we had a while ago on Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu, but in it (it was on a thread about the Kusarigama if i recall) I stated that Mugai and Katori Ryu were taught.

Through some research into my own curriculum I have come to realise that it is from the Yoseikan Aikido that is taught at my club that the kata from these styles comes from....not the individual styles themselves.

The kenjutsu component of Tsutsumi Ryu is also taught. Which means our sword classes, as you put it a while ago, is really a "mix mash of Koryu Kenjutsu"....part Tsutsumi Hozan, and part Yoseikan, which in turn is a mix of Mugai and Katori.

So yea, just wanted to apologise for any mis information I gave you...I completely misunderstood your question on what was taught.

Ciao

[Dave Humm]

Very nice Steve,

[Kogusoku]

Here's a rare koryu from the Kansai (Western) area of Japan. Hoten-ryu (法典流 ) teaches kenjutsu, jojutsu, tessenjutsu, juttejutsu, shurikenjutsu and kusaribuki (Chain weapons).

This short clip shows Mr.Russ Ebert (AKA: Mekugi on this forum) and Mr. Suzuki from the Sumera Budojuku demonstrating some of the kata from the Hoten-ryu chain weapons syllabus.

Hoten-ryu

[Kogusoku]

This isn't koryu but it was rather impressive.

Two Toyama-ryu Battodo kenshi doing Kumi-iai with Shinken (Yes, live blades!) Don't try this at home, boys & girls!

Toyama-ryu Kumi-iai

Toyama-ryu battodo tameshigiri

One of the offshoots of Toyama-ryu battodo is Sushin-ryu.

Students doing tameshigiri

The Founder of Sushin-ryu doing tameshigiri with kodachi & katana

*Waits for someone to mention the size of the Founder's chopper!*

[Dave Humm]

Steve,

Needless to say I found all of those clips enormously interesting and a fantastic insight to koryu, something I might otherwise have never seen so, thanks again for your time in posting them.

It is interesting to see even these exceptionally skilled exponents making mistakes; it is a clear indication that we're all fallible at times. I think we (a generalistic term) are guilty of revering or maybe even idolising the Japanese for their skills and seeing the odd mistake just makes us (again another generalism) realise that everyone is capable of them.

Cheers for the posts mate

Regards

[Kogusoku]

Dave,

These clips were taken at what is called a honno embu (a demonstration for a Shinto shrine). In these embu, it's mainly about demonstrating your skills, representing your teacher and giving what ever you have to the gods/god as an offering.

Sometimes mistakes happen, but the best thing to do is to just keep on at it, regardless.

Reverence should never be on a general scale anyway, it should be on an individual basis. There are as many fakes in Japan as there are damn good practicioners and that's one thing that a lot of people have to realise. Being Japanese does not mean that you are automatically good at budo, especially with the youth of Japan today. (Is it me or am I turning into a curmudgeon?!?)

Some more clips. These were taken by Mekugi last year.

Yagyu Shingan-ryu taijutsu

Yagyu Shingan-ryu Taijutsu kata

Yagyu Shingan-ryu Kogusoku Kata (Muto Dori against a kodachi)

Yagyu Shingan-ryu bojutsu Kihon

Yagyu Shingan-ryu advanced bojutsu kata

Yagyu Shingan-ryu kihon Odachi kata (Kenjutsu)

[nickh]

Hey, how come there are no nunchaku or sai demonstrations?

[Kogusoku]

Originally Posted by nickh

Hey, how come there are no nunchaku or sai demonstrations?

Nick, don't make me spank you with a broken bokken, boyo

[Dave Humm]

Originally Posted by nickh

Hey, how come there are no nunchaku or sai demonstrations?

Nick, let me re-phrase that for you for the numpties understand you..

"Hey how come there are no numbchuks and sais twerling like in the matrix demos?"

Regards

[nickh]

Yeah, that's what I meant.

I also noticed none of those guys demonstrating in Japan were wearing red uniforms. I guess they must be too junior eh?

[Dave Humm]

STEVE!!! ..STEVE!!!

Get your foooking bokken mate, he's takin' the pish ! (lol)

Good to see your still about Nick.

[Kogusoku]

well jeyzus,

Just when I was about to make a kusarigama target, Nick appears!

[Dave Humm]

incidentally, you might like to pee yourself at this. I'm presently wiping coffee up from my desk.



This is classically what happens when people haven't got a bleedin' clue

Steve, sorry to threadjack what is a very informative post from you.

Regards