NOTE FROM TH E PUBLI SHER:

This book is prese nted o nly as a mea ns of preserving a unique aspect o f the heri tage of the marti a l a rts. Ne ither the publisher nor the au thor makes any represe ntati on, wa rranty, or guarantee
that the tec hniques described or illustrated in it w ill be sa fe or effect ive in a ny self-defense situati on or ot herwise. Readers may be injured if they app ly or train in the techniques illustrated .
To minimi ze the risk of injury, noth ing described in thi s book should be underta ken without
personal and expert instructi on. In additio n , a physician should be cons ulted before deciding
whether to attem pt any of the techniques described . Fede ra l, state, or loca l law may prohibit
the use or the possession of a ny of the weapo ns described or illustrated in this book. Speci fi c
se lf-defense responses illu strated in these pages may not be justified in a ny particular si tu ati on
o r applicable under federa l, state, or loca l law. Nei ther the pub lisher nor the author makes any
represe ntat ion or warranty rega rding the lega lity or appropriateness of any weapon or technique
mentioned in thi s book.

The na mes of modern and conte mpora ry Japa nese appear in the Western order, whi le those of
h istorica l figures (pre-1 868) are wr itten in the traditi on al ord er: surname preceding given
name.
For reference, the following chart shows th ose periods of Japa nese history whi ch will be mos t
releva nt to th e discussion.
PERIOD NAME

APPROXIMATE DATES (A.o.)

Nara
Heia n
Kamakura
Muromachi
Na nbokucho
Se ngoku
Azuchi-Momoyama
Edo
Meiji
Taisho
Showa
Heisei

7 10-784
794- 11 92
1192-1333
1336-1573
1336-1392
1467-1568
1573- 1600
1600-1868
1868-1912
1912-1926
1926-1989
1989-

(Historian s do not agree on exact ly when the var ious periods sta rted and ended, so th e dates
listed are approx im ate. Japanese writing often refers as we ll to nengo, or shorter pe riods named
after each reigning emperor. Some of these w ill be int rod uced where relevant.)

Photos (pp. 64 - 65, upper) by Isabel Benchetrit.

Distributed in the United States by Koda n sha America, In c. , and in the United Kingdom and
co ntinenta l Eu rope by Kodansha Eu rope Ltd .
Published by Kodansha International Ltd ., 17-1 4 O towa 1-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 11 2-8652,
and Kodansha Amer ica, Inc.
Copyright 2005 by Masaaki Hatsumi a nd Kodansha Intern atio nal Ltd .
Tra nslation copyright 2005 by Bruce Appleby and Doug Wilson.
All rights reserved . Pr inted in Japan.
ISBN 978-4-7700-2198-4
Fi rst edition, 2005
IS 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
www.lwdanslta-intl.com

12 I I 10 9 8 7 6 54

Regarding the secret of Budo.

CONTENTS

Preface

20

In Honor of True Warriors

CH APTE R

20

1 Kenpo in Budo

True understanding of real Budoka

24
24

Divine Merit through the Peaceful Way of the Sword

The Essence ofVictory and Defeat
Religion and Budo

34

Oneness is in finite

38

33

The real meaning of the eighteen fields of martial arts

The restoration of Budo
Budo and the arts

44

What is the gokui?

46

Rei

Kumid ac hi

Shunu

Ichigeki

48
Kaisoku

72

Koryaku

76

Iaifuji

54

78

Chingan

64

Fuu

66

Shunsoku

CHA PTER

50

52

Muto Dori Hiden

42

42

Transcending common sense

The Direction of Bushi

31

80

82

Mutodori ; la i dori do -gaeshi

68
70

84

Knife hidden in a swo rd handle

86

The Essence of Japanese Swordsmanship

The Principle of 'Pushing and Cutting' with the Sword

88

The Aesthetics of Arms and Armor, or the Beautification of the Soul

The Connection Between the Sword and Spear
The Meaning of Kyusho

98

The Tach i and the Way of the Warrior

100

94

88

92

Nuku

104

Kirisage

Tenchijin no Kamae
Tsuki

108

Kote

109

106

130

Kasuga idome

132

Kochogaeshi

134

Shiho gir i

Goshintai; body in
self defence
Happo Biken

Happo giri

116

136
138

Tsuki no Wa (Full Moon)

120

140

Ts ukikomi

122

Kenpo of the eternal cycle of

birth, death, and re- bi rt h

Tsukigake

126

Yagyu-ryu Seigan no Kamae

Kiriage

CHAPTER

Gedan no Kamae

128

142
142

152

3 The Practice of Budo

Toward the True Gokui

154

Large, Small, the Heart, Technique, and Body

Master and Student

Katchu Tachi

Tac hi uchi

Shi sh iuchi

204

)uji Ken (crossed sword)

176

190

Clo th es wo rn whil e in th e
palace or in the castle

APPENDIX

164

168

172

Katchu Kenpo

158

160

Between Densho and Kyojitsu

Budo ofTomorrow

154

200

206

Master Takamatsu Toshitsugu

Sensei, Happo Biken

Original Japanese text

213

208

Takamatsu Sensei's writing of "Bufu"

shown by spacing in the poem.

Bishamonten and Kabutowari (also called Hachiwari) worn by the military commander Kusunoki
Masashige. It says "Kusunoki Tam on Hyoue
Masashige" in t he signature.

PREFACE

In Honor of True Warriors

There is a word in Japanese, 'kensei

~IJ~,'

meaning 'sword saint.' Sword

saints are different from sword experts or sword masters. Sword masters
were individuals such as Iizasa Choisai, Aisu Ikosai, Koizumi Isenokami,
Tsukahara Bokuden, Yagyu Sekishusai, Miyamoto Musashi, and
Ito lttosai . Historical records are replete with tales of these undefeated sword masters; their sword skills were said to be divine,
and their fame still echos to the present day. Tomita Shigemasa
distinguished himself in service while serving three generations
of the lord Maeda and rose in rank to receive 13,000 koku of
rice, while Yagyu Munenori, the master of Shinkage-ryu, only
received 12,500 koku (koku was a measure of rice paid as currency) . The Chinese character for 'koku' (:rl) is written with the
character for 'stone' (E). In relation to this, the great leader of
the Warring States period (1467-1568), Takeda Shingen, once
famously said "people are stone." Koku, or 'sto nes,' however,
were a measure of rice, a sa lary to the samurai, but beyond this
were a symbol of authority and a measure of economic status
a nd military power. Munenori taught Shinkage-ryu to the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada for six years and became the head of
the Shogun's intelligence service. Munenori was also renowned
as a strategist and predicted the death in battle of Itakura Shigemasa, who was sent to suppress the Sh im abara rebellion by
the Shogunate. He had the 'consistent character' (kankaku, ~ f~), rather
than 'feeling' (kankaku, ffi.l ; Jt), of a martial artist (Budoka), excelling in
the abi lity of foresight.
So, who were the sword saints? They were people who did not only
excel in the way of fig hting with the sword but had also reached a position that transcended the sword masters. Sword sa ints were also far
superior to those who practiced the way of the sword in the dojo. Such
lesser swordsmen had forgotten the sense of being able to respond in
a life and death situ ation, and lacked experience that was useful in
real combat. When we consider it, most sword masters were born in
the period between the end of the Warring States period and the time

Tsukahara Boku d enand his

densho.

Preface

21

when guns began to appear on the battlefield.

The sword saints, on the other hand, began to appear
in times of war (toso,

~il ~)

that were the time of

sword and spear (toso, JJlt); a much earlier period.

Yet it is only those that by good fortune survived
and won fame and status as sword masters who are
now remembered . Accepting, however, that only
these people should be remembered as sword masters, we lose sight of the sword saints. Although the
names of some sword saints have disappeared, they
were great individuals who had real power, comparable to those who managed to make a name for
themselves. For that reason, I am writing this book to
honor the memory of these forgotten sword saints.
Takamatsu Toshitsugu Sensei once said, "Even if
some are called masters, how many other masters
were there? " To evaluate a soldier by whether they
were strong or whether they won a fight is a mundane
and practical pursuit; the demeanor of the warriors
known as sword saints has a beauty that resembles
nature itself: snow, the moon, and flowers.
Memories of the time I was taught the Budo
of the nine schools by Takamatsu Sensei are like
flashes of a dream that appear as profound images
of transmission (kaden, *1~) or mist (kaden, iif~).
This is the transmission of old soke (head of a school) to new soke; the
transition of teacher to student. That path could also be called the path
of truth in nature. Masters and experts appear to shine like glittering
stars. However, the path of the sword saints, like the passing of days
.from sun to moon, shows its color to both master and student. That color
appears in five shades, which correspond to the five guiding principles of
the essence of Budo and Ninjutsu:
1. Learn first that whatever hardship you may have to endure is but tem-

porary.
2. Always behave correctly.
3. Do not fall pray to avarice, indulgence, or egoism.
4. Sorrow and hate are both part of life; understand that they too are
gifts from the gods.
5. Never stray from the path of faith nor from that of martial arts. Aspire
in the ways of both pen and sword.

22

Prifaa

If you have the eyes to see the character 'to aspire' ($ ) is

comprised of the characters for 'warrior' ( ) and ' heart'

(-L'), then you can interpret the benevolent heart of the

warrior who presents a gift of condolence at a funeral
ceremony with the feeling of reverence for the Buddha,
and the verse: "The way of Bushi is found in death." Furthermore, you will understand the mercy of the suicide
assistant at a seppuku ceremony. If you wish to walk the
path of the sword saint, I urge you to preserve this motto
in your mind, and walk the path steadily with bufu ichigei (mastery of one talent in the martial ways) .

Prifau

23

CHAPTER

Kenpo in Budo

True understanding of real Budoka

It is taken for granted that swords cut well. However, there are cases
when the opponent is wearing armor that the sword will not cut as
expected. Around the end of the Warring States period, it was decreed
by the emperor that non-samurai wou ld be disarmed and their swords
taken away in programs of weapons confiscation known as 'katanagari .'
As encapsu lated in the expression "The pen is mightier than the sword,"
culture superseded fighting, and an age of enlighten ment ensued. Swords
surv ived as beautiful works of art, but swordsmen continued to diminish. It is difficult to appreciate the profound impact of this decree without
havi ng lived in a time when swords were actually used and formed an
integral part of society. Indeed, our true understa nding of real Budoka

24

Kumamoto Castle. ~

is also limited in our modern age. So, in order to

understand real Budo, let us take a trip back to
the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the peak of
swordsmanship that started with Koizumi Isenokami and Tsukahara Bokuden, sword masters who
emerged in this period .
Warriors who lived at this time discovered
the relative merits of the tachi and the associated techniques of cutting, thrusting, and striking
while engaging in combat (Kumiuchi). Firstly, it
is important for us to understand that Kenpo was
born from this era, and furthermore understand
that martial arts came from combat that did not
rely upon the sword .
From the time of the Northern and Southern
Dynasties (1336-92) to the Muromachi period
up to the Warring States period, in an era characterized by the trend for retainers to supplant
their lords, the flower of Bushido was pollinated
and blossomed, it scattered in the wind and then
bloomed again in the month of the warrior (shi gatsu, J=l ) -April (shigatsu, 12.9)=1).
This process can be likened to the life of a
salmon. Salmon face a strong current and climb
up river to fertilize . They lay their eggs and, while
continuing to fight, die . From this the fate of the
next generation can be seen. This corresponds
with the form of the warriors who died, fighting
to maintain the honor of their family and descendents year after year. This destiny, born in the
Muromachi period, most beautifully expresses the
world of the Bushi. The Muromachi period was
the true starting point of the natural benevolence
of the warrior. The period can be seen metaphorically as a flower. It was the era of the origin of Zen
culture, Gozan literature, and the oneness of the
sword and Zen - it was a period that moved away
from the subtle and profound culture of Medieval
times to a blossoming and flowering culture of
arts and learning.
During the Muromachi period, the flower of
Gozan literature was opened by the famous Zen

26

C H APT ER

KLnpo in B11do

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Writing by Asari Matashichiro Yoshiaki, teacher of Yamaoka Tesshu.

priests led by Ikkyu Sojun. At the same time Noh drama, the tea ceremony, and flower arrangement were born. These arts were able to
develop under the patronage of the shogun and other powerful people.
Nevertheless, at this time, artistic expression that opposed the power
of the shogun was destroyed. For example, the famous Noh playwright
Zeami was forced to live in exile on an island after falling out of favor
with the shogun. I am often left wondering why Zeami did not perform
the subtle and profound world he explained in his work Fushikaden, in
which he famously said: "If it is hidden, it is the flower." The shogun
would surely have admired it. It would seem that the soul of art and performance transcend the world of the living; there is a power in art that
derives from the world of the dead. This kind of demonic spirit drives
creativity and energetic, outstanding performances in the theater. It is a
world untouched by those who are not artists, and feared by those who
have power. This is why the revered tea ceremony master Sen no Rikyu,
who possessed this demonic spirit, was killed by the powerful leader
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who feared him. Powerful people certainly feared
the martial artists as well. However, a martial artist who protected the
five rules and achieved enlightenment was truly a unique person. It is
a matter of course, therefore, that the idea of the oneness of the sword

28

C H APT E R

Knpo in BuJo

Jv
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Tessen (iron fan) with a painting by Kana Hozui.

C H APT E R

Ktnpo in Budo

29

,
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it!.

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and Zen was born. Another meaning for 'Oni'

(.~,devil)

in the rea lm of

the dead is ' kami ' (:PP, god) . That is to say that the rea lm of the dead is
irrevocably connected by a spiritual force to the world of the gods, and
represents the divine world.

Divine Merit through the Peaceful Way of the Sword

Sakakibara Ken kic hi was an active master swordsman from the end of
the Edo period into the Meiji period (the mid to late 19th century) . It
is said that he was a master of )ikishin kage-ry u and was known for his
techn ique o f splitting the helmet. Though he was skilled at cutting a helmet in some small way, it is nevertheless strange to pra ise this as something s ignificant. If you truly want to split a helmet, it is best that you
smash it into ma ny pieces using a large axe or halberd. A large axe, one of
the seven elemental tools, w ill easily s plit a he lmet-this is war strategy.
The five accompaniments of a sword are the deity withi n a Shinto
shrine, respect, prayer, prosperity, a nd kiai (projection of the figh ting
spirit into a voice). These are a ll bound together, to make kami-musubi
(binding w ith the gods). This also means that when you wield a sword,
you should never cut a deity, but rathe r pray and pay your respects to the
deity through the sword.
A well known master swordsman, and magnificent calligrapher who
expressed the phi losophy o f the o neness of sword and Zen, was Yamaoka
Tesshu (1836-88 ). Tesshu served for ten years in charge of the education
of the Meiji Emperor. It is said that after he experienced rigorous tra ining
in the dojo, he eventually reached enlightenment, and was able to separate himself from his match with his teacher Asa ri Yoshiaki. Whereas
Yosh iaki always used to wi n, Tesshu finally found enlighte nment and
beat him; finding the true meaning of victory and defeat a nd the way of
the sword.
It should be understood that he realized enlightenment by hearing the
poetic song of the gods in his heart. There is a song of the gokui (essence)
that says: "In the world of martial arts, one should not stick to strength
or weakness, softness or ha rdness; rather one should transce nd physica 1ity and understand the void, ' ku,' regarding the body also as empty." He
was able to hear this so ng in a neutraL detached, Zen-like way. As a great
ship in the vast ocean cuts through the waves, his eyes were opened to
the gokui of the ltto -ryu, a nd he heard its rhyme. In war, prepare your
body and show courage, the true gokui is the m ind. Win without d rawing your sword. If you draw, do no t cut down; bear patiently, and know
that taking a life is a grave thing.

t: IIAPrl R

l&npc in B11Jo

31

{.

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In the winter of 2004, several students and I were giving a demonstration

of kami-mu cutting known as kami-musubi at the Kotohira Jinja grand
festival in Noda City. Using the method of shihogiri (cutting all directions), two wara (sheaved straw) were cut completely through. However,
the fifth wara for the kami-musubi was not allowed to be cut. When
presenting to the gods, if all the wara are completely cut then it becomes
an act of severing divine connection with the god s. Those watching who
do not understand this may think the cutter was unable to sever the last
wara. This is no t the case. To revere the image of a Buddha in Zen (or
kami in Shinto) to the point of idol-worship is wrong, and it is true that
by destroying this very idoL one can ac hive enlightenment. True Budoka,
however, will neve r fall prey to idol-worship, and so it is forbidden for
them to cut the image of a Buddha even in a performance.

The Essence of Victory and Defeat

Within Budo, the ability to foresee certain victory is critical. Hesitation
will not arise from a mind prepared for absolute victory. It is generally
accepted that all people desire life. This aspect of fighting is expressed in
old documents as "Koteki Ryoda Juppo Sessho no Jutsu," and in nature
as the tiger fighting the dragon. The fl ash of lightning brings forth a
thundercloud and a thunderstorm, the echo of wind grows louder, the
aesthetic effect of fear rises. Stepping into this scene, your six senses are
absorbed. Even if you yield victory to your opponent, in true Budo this
should not be regarded as a bad thing. The ability to recognize defeat is
important a nd essential to training in the martial arts. This is nothing
more than a rule of nature, but those who indulge in lust or desire will
never realize this. Let us just say that this is true to the style of author
Nakazato Kaizan's endless cycles of rebirth, or give and take. However,
what is critical here is that in real combat, victory or defeat is a matter of
life or death. If you have the capacity to recognize defeat as also important, then your life force will be stronger, and this in turn cultivates courage with calmness.
Fights yield a winner and a loser. From the smallest thing, invincible
people can be led to defeat. This becomes all the more apparent in a fight
with real swords and not in the Dojo. Needless to say, strikes or thrusts
with a shinai (bamboo sword), are not so serious, but if it is a real sword,
they could be fatal. True warriors, however, will cultivate readiness without fear, regardless of whether they are in a duel with real swords or not.
This is because they are standing on the lifeline of enlightenment; they
are detached from victory or defeat, and have the insight and knowledge

CHAPTH

~npo in

BuJo

33

to separate themselves. This is part of the reverberation of life; of the

essential five elements from the Booh of Five Rings, which can be likened
to the five lines on a musical score; the five ('go,' 1L) of enlightenment
('go,' ffi). The musica l score is written 'go sen fu' 1Lil~, as music on a
page. In the same way, we can connect it to the five elements of enlightenment, 'go sen fu' tlHXIDit.
An acquaintance of mine who has trained wit h me for twenty yea rs,
and who was origina lly in the milita ry o f his country, recently wrote
me a letter touching on the subject of the bloodshed of terrorism in the
world a round us: "As a person who has experienced actual combat, I'm
certain that no matter what kind of wa r, no person is victorious, and I
feel th at in reality all are losers; even those who are victorio us will suffer
from the blood of the defeated enemy on the ir h ands sooner or later."
Those who yea rn too much for victory suffer forever from their victory.
Is it possible that war between mankind will never end? The Ninja,
fully understanding this possibility, devoted themselves to the gods, and
in their shadow, the principle of 'shinmyoken' (mysterious sword) was
born . Why is there conflict in life? If you were to cha nge the four characters that make up the words 'natural selection' (shizen tota, gt,~~Ji:t)
to those of the phonetically identical 'nature's many batt les' (shi zen tota
Qr!.~fb~~ ), you might think you were watching a dramatization of the
mystery of the struggle for life.

Religion and Budo

There were approximately twenty types of primitive man, and of those,
the hunter Cro-Magnon (Homo Sapiens), was the only one to surv ive. It
is interesting, the n, that the Cro-Magnon was the most frightened of the
spirits of the dead. This deep natural mental state was probably a primitive
version of the present day religious defensive reaction to death. If we accept
the explanation that the only human to survive was Cro-Magnon because
of their migration patterns, communication wit h words, fighting animals
in groups, a nd superior hunting skills, then it can be said that modern
man developed language competence, physica l ability, society, and fighting instinct from his ancestors. Furthermore, it is because the Cro-Magnon
were indeed a hunting people that they used weapons and traps. Natura l
selection is therefore an outcome of 'nature's many battles.'
The importance of Budo is seen here. Budo is to live. If your feelings
are violent and brutal, then th~ way will be lost, but if the feeling is too
humane, then you cannot hunt effectively. Already there is an excess
of people on the globe. The world's current population of 6.4 billion

34

C HAPTER

Kmpo in BuJo

.....

will increase to approximately 9.1 billion by the year 2050. We will also
begin to see a transformation in the meaning of 'nature's many battles'
to meteorological and geological phenomenon; a change in the phenomenon of natural battles.
My teacher Takamatsu Toshitsugu warned me that the occurrence of
natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and
floods are a revelation of the gods. The reason for these phenomena is the
destruction of the earth 's envi ro nment by man, and his lack of insight,
perseverance, and understanding of the substance of nature. Therefore,
to resent nature for its disasters, which we have helped create, would be
pure hypocrisy.
Nature created the world in this way, and ma n kind is reaping the
effects of his violation, so therefore such evils of mankind should be set
right. This is the simple principle of give and take-if humankind does
something good for nature, then nature will look after humankind and
good things will come in return.

Currently, much is being said about global warming, but relying on a

thermometer alone does not reveal the true extent of the crises of life. The
thermometer (kandankei, *~1l"t) or intuition (kandankei, *Wfilt) held by
creatures of nature should be treated with more significance. Nature's creations continue to live bound by the ties of nature. The Shizen no Kamae
(natural posture) in Budo is equal to this natural embodiment.
Thus, in Budo, as in nature, natural posture is important. From the
old times it has been said that "the warrior heart is a reflection of harmony and respect." To say this in another way, Budoka are professors of
the scientific ability to create the chem istry of change, having the feeling and ultra-conciousness of practitioners of religion, philosophers, and
intellectuals. From the character for change (ka, f t) ma ny other phonetic
cousins are born- such as flower (ka, -it) , shoe (ka, 11:), profit (ka, ~) ,
and to lean (ka, 1ft). Ka is a puzzle in disguise. Sword saints strive to connect the expertise (ka, ~q of religion, philosophy, politics, and ideas.
War is ofte n caused by conflict in religio n, philosophy, and thought.
Budo, however, must protect the 'Three spheres (ka, * )' of religion, philosophy, a nd thought. Failure to do so would have severe consequences.
Someday, this martial arts view will be regarded as very natural, just as

36

CHAPT ER I

Kml"' in B..Jo

Densho of Saburi-ryu sojutsu. II>

ch ildren's tales are. Nevertheless, even children's fairy tales, such as the
Brothers Grimm collection, can be extremely frightening, a nd often hide
some thing cruel. Mothers read the m to their children often unaware of
this. If we interpret these stories, however, with a protective instinct, we
can n otice the stories' cruel points.
The word 'cruelty' can be looked at in the flow of nature. W ith the
right eyes you ca n see a rainbow in cruelty. The re is a saying: "life is
rosy/ but there is also a b looming rose in the four natu ra l stages of
huma n life-birth, agi ng, sickness, a nd death; the rose bloom s in a ll
aspects of life. Regarding cruelty, the teachings of god are also very ha rsh
in truth. And this is why in each age h oly men ap pear. It is very interesting that Jesus Ch rist, Mohammed, and the Buddha appeared around the
same perio d. Furthermore, Plato, Lao Tsu, and Confucius a lso lived in

*-.
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-rp

off"

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the period arou nd that time. Times of reformation requ ire great m en.
W hat can we do in orde r to evade natural selection (many battles)?
As in the song of the gokui, the a rt of not being an opponent to those
that attac k is probably the same principle of pacifism adovocated by
Mah atma Ga nd hi.
After writ ing the book The Way of the N inja, I received comments that
it had assisted people in knowing the law of the way o f the three powers-heaven, earth, and ma n-can be interpreted as culture, garden, a nd
Ni n ja. Dry landscape gardens are one aspect of the perfection o f culture
in Japan. White sand creates moun tains, rivers, oceans, a nd ponds expressing the beauty of nature in dry landscapes. However, unfortunately in
present d ay Japan there are fewer a nd fewer ho mes with Japa nese garden s. It requires more mo ney tha n is gene rally realized to create a nd
ma intain a garden, which the average Japanese cannot afford . However, I
must stress that it is only natural t hat developing, maintaining, and passing on culture is expensive. It is the Budoka that truly devote themselves
to knowledge of the arts of culture. The reby, one can take a philosophical
view of life and death, victory and defeat. That is to say, to be a warrior
who can reach wisdom (shi ki, ~). Shiki has multiple mea nings at the
same time: to respect the manne r of dying (shiki, ?E~) , emphasize the
impo rta nce of determinatio n (shiki, 1<1.), as well as to revere the arts,
and to h ave the aesthetic sense to protect trad ition for eternity.

Oneness is infinite
Within Mikkyo (esoteric Buddh ism), 'shiki' (wisdom) exists alongside
the elements earth (chi, :Ilk), water (sui, 71<), fire (ka, )(),wind (fu, mil.),

38

CHAPT E R

Kcnpo in BuJo

-r

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Densho by Hayashizaki Jinsuke.

CHAPTER l

K.npo in BuJo

39

and emptiness (ku, ~)- Shiki can a lso be read as the character for color
(shiki, 1!!.). Within Ninpo (the ways of the Ni nja) it is said one must
endure with conciousness (shiki) but you can also see the color of the
mandala (portraits of m ystic Buddhist symbols of the universe). The age
of ink paintings has passed on to the age of color, and many manda la
are now depicted in color. However, is it not said that in sumie (black ink
pa inting) the su mi (black ink) has five subtle colo rs within it? Add ing
those five colors to the seven colors of the rainbow, we see twelve colors,
corresponding to the months of the year. Thus we begin to see how years
pass. The Noh song "Sotoba Komachi " equates the five rings (chi, sui,
ka, fu, ku) to the human body. It is import ant to see the illusion of the
five rings of Buddhism. It is said the Dutch painter Hulce managed to
express no fewer than twenty-seven different colors with black, surely a
mark of true genius.
Martial artists (strategists of war) look at things o n
a broad sca le and ca re full y think about them . While all
things in the unive rse have a n ura (inside) a nd ornate
(outside), there is a lso the goda i (the five elements)
a nd rokudai (the six wo rlds, six vi rtues a Buddha elect
practices to attain supreme enlightenment, and the six
tools of the Ninja) . Furthermore, there are the shichidai
(the seven e lements) and hac hidai (the eight elements,
w ithin Budo known as the kihon happo). All these numbers have special importance. The world is thus complex
and mysterious. In Buddhism there are six worlds of
reinca rnation. Beyond these there is the way of the ra inbow-the seventh way- and because of this, the rainbow
comes to symbolize the number seven . However, if you
are imbued with that rainbow, then it becomes dangerous. This is because the number seven (shichi) in Japan
is considered bad luck (it relates to the traditional 'seven
ha rdships' of a ncient Buddhism) .
Oneness extends to the infinite-this is a n endless principle of Budo,
but is not limited only to Budo. It a lso applies to religion a nd study. I

Picture of the w arrior lmai

Shiro Kanehira, a chief
retainer of Kiso Yoshinaka.

do not subscribe to the b elief that Budo is the ultimate phenomenon in

the world at all. I feel that it is just one of many things that ex ist on this
earth . There is a sayi ng: "all things united as one." This is expressed in
the symbol 8 . In Zen th is symbol represents hospital ity. The great Buddhist monk Daruma was originally depicted in paintings rea listically, but
his image was progressively reduced to a symbol 0. Thus complex things
come to be represented simply and symbolically. Daruma's symbol also
means oneness a nd emptiness.

40

C H APT ER

Krnpo in BuJo

Densho of Kashima .,.

Shinden Kage-ryu.

The real meaning of the eighteen fields of martial arts

Recently, I have been concerned about consiste ncy (ikkan, -Jt), which
is importa nt in all the a rts. My teacher Takamatsu Sensei told me fortyeight years ago, although it seems like only yesterday, that even a n insect
can go far if he grabs onto the ta il of a horse. I replied, "There is a proverb
that says a horse can go far; yet a Mongolian tiger travels fa r to hunt, but
returns from 1,000 miles." Moko no Tara (Mongolian Tiger) was Takamatsu Sensei's martial nicknam e; indeed he was talented like the tiger.
C urrently, I keep a horse called Cookie. I began painting a picture of
a horse about ten years ago, a nd would often return to it to add some
retouches, but I could never seem to appreciate it. However, after living
with Cookie, I was able to complete the painting in a way with which I
was satisfied .
There are two words: the kabuki juhachiban, and bugei juhachiban.
These mean the 18 representative works of kabuki a nd the 18 basic fields
of martial arts respectively. Speaking of the 18 fields of martia l arts, the
following disciplines come to mind: taijutsu, kenjutsu, bojutsu, sojutsu,
iaijutsu, bajutsu, shurikenjutsu, and hobakujutsu (art of arresting). Here I
would like to d iscuss the 18 works of kabuki through the eyes of a martia l
artist. In kabuki's heyday, Ich ikawa Danjuro, Onoe Kikugoro, and Ichikawa Sada nji were renowned pe rformers, and they do minated kabuki for
a generation. 18 in this instance is when 3 people step in 6 directions; the
number 18 harmonizes and the play becomes a charming m artial performance. The number 18, which a lso means 'one's strength ' in Japanese,
re lates to the idea of performing a great deed, including in b attle.

The restoration of Budo

Life is an instant. Valuing life in the moment, as 'one en counter, one
chance,' being gratefu l to div ine prov idence that allows us to live in
nature, loving the existence of everything in life, finding e ternity in an
instant- these are the profound and essential qualities of an a rtist. Luckily,
we can find this kind of profound knowledge in the work of people who
were able to enjoy fulfi llment accumulated from the experience of life.
In the famous secret scrolls of Nob-drama Fushilwden by Zeami, it is
w ritten: "If it is h idden, it is the flower. If it is not h idden, it is not the
flower." By suppressing and concealing the intention, one can stimulate
the imagination. It is very interesting that this idea is connected to the
phrase 'lch igu o terasu,' from japanese Buddhism, meaning to ' light up
a corner' or 'to be a light that brightens the surroundings.' You can sense
tr ue affection more profound ly in the smile of roughly ca rved Buddhist

42

CHAPTER

Ktnpo in Budo

"Dragon-Tiger picture" by
Takamatsu Toshitsugu.

- e

fa. .

'~

~~
~

1~
~

~L

1t
r
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.,.-

1~

.~

statues made by priests such as En ku a nd the monk Mokujiki than in

imposing Buddhist statues made of gold.
If you explain history with only a shallow understanding of Budo, Budo
looses its cha rm and appeal. When this happens, it is important to listen
to the drumbeats and ma rches that accom panied the Meiji Restorationlisten to the rhythm of change, which we can liken to the reviva l of Budo. I
urge you to listen to the hidden bufu wh ile following the path of ' learning
from the past.' In Budo, if you are a lways chasing after the new you will
loose sight of its importa nt secrets. This revival of Budo, or restoration of
imperial rule (ouseifukko, .:Ei&W:it) can be equated with the concept of 'to
die and come back to life' (ouseifukko, fl1:.-&IJ1l<). What 1 a m trying to say
is we should always immerse ourselves in sunlight, and in Budo training,
never forget to smile, and never be surprised regardless of what happens.

Budo and the arts

The vita lity of the Bush i is demonstrated in the craftsmans hip of their
armor and weapons, and it is sa id that the tearooms o f the Kin kakuj i

44

CHAPTER

JCtnfH' in BuJo

and Ginkakuji were made in order to display their power. It is possible,

however, they might have been created solely to display the aesthetic
sense of powerful people.
With the advent of the gun, the utility of the sword diminished,
and this was damaging for followers of Bushido. The flame of Bushido
burned o ut in the Warring States period. At that time, if the samurai
had already known the commo n value of things globally, like diamonds,
their fate might have been considerably different. The diamond or ruby
inlaid into the brow of a statue of Buddha, the so-called third eye, m ay
indicate the consciousness of that Buddha statue. Oda Nobunaga and
Toyotomi Hideyoshi awarded their military leaders with the swords of
well-known makers, or the works of fine potters, in place of thousands
and tens of thousands of koku of rice. In the tea ceremony, the teacup
was considered highly precious, and Nobunaga and Hideyoshi would
also give these as gifts. I hear the Dutch painter Helene Muller said that
art is the human form made into the soul. If this is the case, how should
we see the soul of the warrior and the spirit of Japan? Perhaps by looking
at the form of a martial artist well trained in the martial traditions we

CH APTER

Krnpo in BuJo

45

can perceive the mea ning. By so doing, we may come to see the existence
of the ma rtial artist in both ourselves and others.
The illusionist Japa nese painter Hayami Gyoshu said, "In my lifetime I
w ill continue to destroy the form ," and he devoted his life to the expression of destruction; t hat was the essence of his art. Alt hough the expressio n o f destruction may change, as in the painting style of Mondrian,
or in Zen style paintings, all art is naturally changing, and whe n time
passes, the works gain impo rtance. Like coexisting with a simple, melancho lic and rustic feeling (the Japanese concept of wabi and sabi), so the
ability to change natura lly is a power a lso shared by the sword saint. and
it h elps protect them from enemies .
1

.1,
.L

What is the gokui?

My belief is that the gok ui, or essence, is living w ith ch a nge (henka).
If p eople change then things change a nd the times change. It would be
stra nge, therefore, if each respective e ra didn't h ave gokui. Iro nically,
goku i is about change; people and times must cha nge, but the fundamental aspect of gokui does not change. Budo h as existed for thousands
of years a nd the fact that my Budo is understood around the world shows
tha t it exists within something that is like the gokui.
Therefore, even if you don't understa nd the gokui, it is best to tie
yourself to a good friend a nd teacher and persevere with bufu ikkan.
'Gokui' can be read as the numbers 5-9-5 (go-ku-i, 1iJLJi) in Japanese.
If we contemplate this, we find t hat five is the supreme number for the
age of the gods and nine means the present, it gives rise to experiences.
You can see the gokui in the henka (change) of these numbers.
In a somewh at pa radoxical sense, when you think the gokui exists, it
does not, but if you think it doesn't. it appears in the scrolls of the dead
like a miracle. The existence of the goku i is truly mysterious. It is a fact
that people possess caliber. Didn't the Rakugo master Yanagiya Kosa n
(1 915- 2002) say it as well? It is importa nt to learn, but some people
cannot progress even if they try hard at learning-they don't have the
capacity. This is why some kabu ki actors don't teach to their successors
or students. Nevertheless, there are very talented people that come forth

46

CH APH R

K.tnpo in BuJo

~:_...>--'

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to inherit the traditional arts. There is luck in great achievement in Budo.

This is why so many people jump to the conclusion that someone who
says "the way of the samurai is not fou nd in death," actually fears death.
However, the law of the warrior is to be patient until t he end. It is important to understand that dying in anger is a waste. If you look at the death
of m any talented artists such as Va n Gogh and Mozart, it is natural to
feel pity for them. It is my wish that you to listen to the divine tune of the
didactic poem-"Water is sure to fa ll to the ground, but the time it falls
is that of the beginning of its ascent." In that way, the spirit of the Bushi
that transcends the natural stages of birth, aging, sickness, and death is
passed on to future generations.
I was instructed in the bufu by a master teacher and because of this saw
the heaven of countless pleasures within transcendence. Rushing to one's
death because you are not recognized by the world is to fault the will of
the gods. This is truly a sad moment for those that possess great talent.
Life force can be nurtured and cultivated; however, there is something
that transcends even this. When I was once making an offering to the
kamidana (household altar), somehow the nearby candles reflected light
in t he form of a cross (jumonji, -t-)C) on to the kamidana. I thought
this was strange, and when I told this to my teacher, he said, "Ah, you are
bound to something in the universe." I urge you to feel the importance
of these insights from nature. For me, each word my teacher uttered
helped me to progress. This is a natural thing, but I think it is good if you
can do these things yourself. Furthermore, motivation is important. And
in this you can see the magnetic power of the gokui that attracts master
and student. I have recently been fee ling strongly that to make someone
do something beyond their capacity is going against the will of the gods.
In order to be connected to the gods, one must live within the same flow
as one's teacher and the gods.

Transcending common sense

As when looking at fine swords, it is unwise to make hasty judgements
when viewing literatu re. Just like there are times when sudden light can
damage the eyes, reacting to things in an instant can be dangerous. Fortune telling has recently enjoyed some popularity, however, to draw conclusions is the beginning of failure.
To leave things ambiguous and not judge the truth of matters that are
uncertain, aesthetically speaking, is connected to the world of the subtle
and profound (yugen no sekai). Even if you envelop things in smoke,

48

CHAPTER

K.tnpo in BuJo

r.'I

Calligraphy by Kon Toko.

there are many types of smoke. There is the smoke of pollution, the smoke
of the benevolent Emperor, and the smoke of the Ninja.
A Budo researcher once said to me, "I researched many different schools
of martia l arts and published books, but it never amounted to anything."
I replied, "Isn't it fine to know that it didn't a mount to anything? It is
because of the expression 'all things are one."' Actually, the same thing
can be said about bugei (martial arts). lt is crucial to know that to research
something will amount to nothing. Speaking of the oneness of things, the
number one has a plus one (+1) and minus one (-1), with the zero as the
balance point. If you understand the principle of one very deeply then the
cosmic dual forces of In and Yo philosophy will become clear.
Budo is the direction to live and the readiness to know consciousness
(sh iki, ~). Consciousness also takes the form of the four seasons (shiki,
llY~ ) , commands (shiki, ffitlV-), palpitations of death (shiki, ~if.) , morale
of the troops (shiki, %.), rhythm of p oetry (shiki, t.ji*) and the cap acity of ma n (shiki, im). If you try to re ly on the common opinion of history and books, then you will not be able to see the reality of history.
Furthermore, in history, ma ny varying opinions and eccentric views
are mixed together, and new theories frequentl y emerge. Therefore, it
becomes very difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. In this book
I seek to express the importa nce of abandoning this kind of gen eral
common sense and opinion for a moment, and instead looking at the
true form of things. Nonetheless, if one does not have real training, then
doing this will amount to nothing.
Kon Toko (1898-1977), the charis matic author, chief abbot of the
Hiraizumi Chuson temple, a nd a one-time member of the Natio nal Diet
of Japa n, wrote the words: "pure heart is the training hall" (magokoro
kore dojo). These words are indeed true; it is magokoro that enables transcendence from good a nd evil, life and death, victory and defeat, good
fortune and bad fortune. This wise saying relates to the gokui o f Budo.

CIIAPTEK I

JCtnpo

in

BuJo

49

The Direction of Bushi

It is said that the martial ways are shown through one's daily life

and behavior. Namely, thro ugh the manners of humanity. Need less
to say, the Budoka w ho avoids thoughtless or inappropriate behavior is not co nsumed by ras hness; he maintains a calm attitude, does
not hesitate, but is modest, fu ll of kindness, and is highly respected .
The true path of the martial ways is to not let one's eagerness take
control. Although it is said to be honorable is to proted the weak
and fight the strong. it is not permitted to fight unnecessarily or
\vithout reason. When the ci rcumstances necessitate, however, those
who do not fear the strong and protect the weak should b e called
true warriors. Whe n someone insults or disrespeds you, the courage
laugh and not make them an opponent is true courage. Taking up
the sword unnecessarily should be avoided at all costs. Mai ntaining
a graceful heart together with the virtue of affection that is gen ial
a nd pleasant, whi le also retai ning the stem temperament to be decisive and bold; valuing b oth the literary and military a rts withou t
to

being carried away by learning; possessing a well balanced heart of

ki ndness a nd valor: this is the divine warrior. We should persevere
in this eternal direction of the warrior.

50

C H APTF.R

l&n~ in

Budo

Rei tL
In the daily practice o f Budo, etiquette
begins with a bo w. The etiquette of Budo is
contained within the five Confucian virtues
o f benevolence, justice, etiqueue, wisdo m,
and sincerity. Etiqueue is the cornersto ne
of these values, and it is impo nant to realize this balance. Fully understanding this
means you will never stray from the natural path o f bushido.

Snow, Moo n, and Flower

52

CHAPTER I

JCLnpo

in

BuJo

~ R -IE

Snow, Moo n, and rlower !1:1 fl.{E.

CHAPTER

un~

in Bu Jo

53

Kumidachi

~::tcJJ

Kumidachi is cultivating the unification o f unarmed

fighting, and fighting with weapons sud1 as the
tachi and long weapo ns. This means always having
the d riving force of taijutsu present; thus miraculous taijutsu and tachi become the life force and
reveal the true form of 'hiken.'
ln speaking of kuraidori (position ing), there is
positioning in kamae as well. Depending o n the
warrior's positio n, their humanity, in other words,
the splendor and terro r will naturally reveal itself.
This is not something that comes from form.

54

CH APTER

Ken!"' in BuJo

Seigan no Kamae JEilftO)m

Y...~O)m

Chudan no Kamae

CHAPTER

KLnpo

in

BuJo

55

Seigan no Kamae .i:Uf!Q)ti'4

Seigan no Kamae
56

CH APT ER

Kmpo in Budo

1fiJlQ)~

CHAPTER

Km~ in

BuJo

57

Hiryu no Kamae
58

CH A PTER

Ktnpc in Budo

Jf~ffi!O>Wl

Chosui no Kamae ii7J<O)ft/f

CH APH R

JCtNpo iN

BuJo

59

60

CII APTER I

J&npo in BuJo

Uranami no Kamae
imi/JL(l)W/

Roppo Kuji no Kamae

"A1i1L'j.:(l)~flt

Dato no Kamae
tf"~J(l).fl'4

Muto Dori Hi den

~JJ

(Ji:tiMJ) MfJ ~~

Man y people think that Muto dori is about the opponent wielding a sword while you have none, but this is not the case. Even if
you have a sword, muto dori starts with the development of the
courage to face an opponent with the preparedness of no t having a sword. This means if you don' t thoroughly train in taijutsu
you will not obtain the knowledge o f the refined skill of Muto
dori. Therefore, you must fi rst know the purpose of the path of
training. If you are unaware of this and proceed down the path of
thinking that sword training is only abou t cuning and thntsting.
then there is a danger that you will go d own the path of the evil
sword. The sword harnesses a pure essence that is life-giving- o ne
who cannot live the way of the sword saint will foolishly think
that the sword is only a tool for cutting. Those who do this can
never achieve enlightenment.
The warrio r's heart is ntled by preparedness, and nature's
heart, or god's heart, is fundamental. The heart also governs the
warrior' s physical kamae. Therefore, if there is no unity in spirit
and body, you will never u nderstand the reason for being a martial artist. You will leave no vulnerability or opening (suki ) if
you remain consistently prepared. When the o pponent assumes
a kamae to try and cut they will be unable to touch you. To show

64

C HAPTER

JCmpo in BuJo

II
the determinati on (kihaku) that you will immediately knock over
an opponent with your fightin g spirit (kiai)-this is the form of
calm cou rage and the quiet heart of a divine posture. Th e enemy's
attack is stayed by your determintation and they are temporarily
paralyzed (fudo kanashibari ) as they are knocked down from a
distance by your thundering cry (to-ate no jutsu) . You should
know that unless you have this determination in your training
then the gokui of muto dori cannot be obtai ned.
Here I would like to mention muto dori train ing as well as
sh inken gata (real fighting ). Many people do not fully understand
m uto do ri, and believe it is simply th e knowledge of defending
against a sword attack. but I would u rge you to understand that
it is the mind and skill of d isarming th e opponent. whether they
wield a yari, naginata, bow, shuriken, or gun . You must understand the mind of "ten thousand d1anges, no su rprises: and
attain the knowledge of muto dori in response to infinite varia tions. Attaining knowledge of real muto dori means you will earn
the protedion of the gods. In Futen Gosh in no Kamae, when
the tiger and dragon fight, drawing ferocious storms, the wind
gods will protect you, and you will see the light. On the o ther
hand, Hanno Banetsu no Juji no Kamae resembles the power of
a flood that washes away the fighting power of the opponent in
an insta nt.

w ater always runs down the

-.arural slope of in the land, but that
'5 just the beginning of the voyage.
C H A PTER

Kmpo i11 Budo

65

!II

Shunu ~The opponent moves to draw their daito. Like a falcon, hold the opponent's sword pommel with the left hand. The oppo nent takes o ne step back to draw his swo rd. Immediately
thrust under the o pponent's nose with the right thumb. The opponent is stanled by this
and moves back. Immediately grab the pommel of the opponent's sword with your right
hand and step back drawing the oppo nent' s sword, holding the sword blade with your
left hand. Stand ready to thmst. Maintain zanshin .

Hayato uch1. The thrust is not just

With the t1p of t he sword. but the
ent1re length of the sword. pommel, and the guard.

Shunsoku $Ji
The o pponent moves to draw his daito. As before, con trol the pommel of the sword.
The o pponent strikes your left wrist with his right h<t11d. luucdiately 1o tate to the
opponent's left side; with the right hand take the o ppo nent's scabbard at the end
and with the left hand take the opponent's left wrist. Lifting the righ t hand, control the opponent's left hand with the scabbard. The sword pommel surrounds the
opponent's left leg. The opponent falls face down, and controlled by the sword.
Immediately kick in with the right foot to the opponent and ho ld him down.

68

C HAPTER I

Kznpo in BuJo

Ichigeki -!J
The opponent is in Daijodan no Kamae (sna cking position with sword raised above
the head). Immediately step in and, while controll ing the opponent's left duuw,
strike into the chest area of the opponent with the thumb. Kicking up with the
right leg, knock the opponent onto their back. Immediately kick the side of the
opponent's right leg with your right leg. The chest area (kyobu, IK-It\-11) of an armored
soldier is called the manial area (kyobu, .Iii\:).

70

CHAPHR l

Ktn~ in

B11Jo

Kaisoku il:Ji
The opponent cuts down fro m Daijodan . Shift your body to the left, avoiding the
opponent's cut, which comes down alu ul> the li1>ht side of the body, and the sword
fli es out of the opponent's hand. Immediately kick up with you r right leg to the
oppo nent's right hand. The opponent puts his hand on the kodachi. Strike the
o ppo nent's kasumi with shuto. The oppo nent falls fo rward. Immediately take the
opponent's elbow joint of the right arm with your left hand. Flip the opponent up
with right osoto-gari (drawing the opponent' s right foot out). Maintain zansh in.

72

C HA PTER I

Ktnpc in BuJo

74

CH APHil

Ktnpo in B~tdo

....

Koryaku ~~
The opponent cuts in from Daijodan. Shifting o nto the right foot, avoid the cut that goes
past o n the left side. Immediately catch the opponent's right wrist with the left hand. At
the same time grab the o pponent's right elbow with the right hand, and together with
bo th legs let the opponent flow past the right side as they fall forward. This becomes a
sutemi; immediately rise and maintain zanshin.
This movement is the same with our without a sword.

76

CHAPTER I

/Ctnpo in Budo

O tAPTH<.

K.tnpo in Budo

77

Iaifuji g{t!t
The opponent cuts in horizomally from the right side. Jump back one step . The opponent
moves into Daijodan. Immediately jump in with the left arm up to receive the arms of the
opponent and strike the oppo nent's left chest with the thumb of the right hand. Im mediately kick the opponent over with the right leg, then retreat and maintain zanshi n. The
right thumb ca n be replaced by a dagger o r a spear, etc.

CII.,PTcR I

Ktn~ in

Budo

79

Chingan ttlf
The opponent stands in Seigan. You are in Banetsu no Kamae. The oppo nent immediately thrusts in. Immediately sink the body and tum to the left; the opponent's cut nmvs
by the right side. With the left hand , strike and take the opponent's right wrist. Immediately placing the right hand, sink the body. With the hand holding the oppo nent's sword,
turn the sword to the left overhead, pulling the left leg back, and sit. Kicking with the
right leg, the o pponent falls fo rward. Maintain zanshin. This kick is both a physical attack
and a strike

80

to

C IIAPTER

the spirit.

NnJX> in Budo

I '

Fuu Jitk
The opponent cuts in from Daijodan. Tum the body to the left and control the opponent' s sword blade in fro nt of the tsuba with the right hand by laying the fingers over the
top of the tsuba. Immediately strike with a left shuto (hand sword) d irectly into the face
of the opponent and pull the sword from the opponent's grip. This is also cal led "taking
the real sword" (shinken tori). llolding the sword with the left hand, cut to the side of
the oppo nent, knocking him over.

Mutodori; lai dori do-gaeshi

84

C HAPHR

Kmpo in BuJo

~)Jfiti fJ ~~fili'J JJ4ii L.

C H A PTER

Ktnpo in Budo

85

"Jii

Knife hidden in a sword handle

fii~;f'ul) -JJ

There is a small kni fe (tanto) hidden in the handle of the sword. This can be thrown o r
used to thrust. This quickly d1anges into the juppo sessho o f taijutsu. A fi nger can also
be used to thrust.

86

C liA PTER

1 KLnpo in BuJo

CHAPTER

Kenpo in Budo

87

CHAPTER

The Essence of Japanese

Swordstnanship

The Principle of }Pushing and Cutting}

with the Sword
In ancient times there we re no weapons. Although
the sword a nd bow have existed since long ago, it
appea rs that only chieftains a nd other tribal leaders bore such items. Old books record that around
500 BC, whe n invaders from overseas landed in
Japan , attacks were repe lled using primitive warfare tech niques, like hand-to-hand fighting, sticks,
stones, diggi ng of defensive trenches, and to some
extent the bow. Later, weapons simil a r to those
brought from other countries were made and developed . Over time the use of weapons progressed and
it is sa id that in the Tokugawa period (from 1603
onward) there were 120 techniques for using weapons, and from the Kan'ei period (1624 ) to the end
of the Tokugawa military government (1867) over
3,000 mart ia l schools emerged. The sword was born
from the stick-sword of ancient times. It developed
into the tachi (heavily curved sword), a nd late r
evolved into the katana (single-edged sword) . In the
Warring States period the musket was introduced
to Tanegashima island fro m Portugal a nd quickly spread across Japa n.
Altho ugh the power of these new weapons was widely recognized to
exceed that o f the sword, bow, a nd spear, the musket never replaced
the sword in rank and importance. This was because the purpose of the
sword went far beyond its function as a weapon.
The sword ha rnessed the authority o f the ruling class a nd was a

88

Picture of Yamamoto
Kansuke, swordsman and
military commander.

lga-Ueno Castle.

11>

symbol for the protection of spiritual peace and enlightenment. Although

it was primarily a weapon, its associations were never ba rbaric or violent.
This two-sided, or double life, of the sword is its most important featu re.
Conventio nal wisdom holds that in education it is proper to classify
swords a nd explain their development in the context of the history of
early bamboo and wooden swords, and early tac hi and katana. However.
martial artists do not th ink like this. It is taught that the fou ndation of
Budo is to first understa nd taijutsu, through which you can fight even
if you have no weapons. Th is mea ns to persevere in the m artial ways
(bufu-ikkan), and to train consistently and with utmost effort. Then you
will grasp the secrets of muto dori (no-sword technique). Succeeding in
this, the mys teries of the secret sword (hi ken) will be revealed, and no
matter what weapon you ho ld, your heart and your taijutsu will dance
skill fully in the void (koku). Then you will be able to explain the meaning of wooden swords and ba mboo swords (shinai).
At this point let us consider a tale of bamboo swords. There was once
a left-handed expert called Oishi Susumu who used a 5-sh aku shinai.
He visited many fa mous do jos in Edo (now Tokyo), a nd fought matches
with many opponents from other schools that used shorter swords. His
skills would allow him to defeat one after another. After this, it is sa id
that at the Kobuso (school for teaching vassals/ retainers to the shogun),
the length of shinai was fixed at 3 shaku 8 sun . Later in the Meiji period,
when school kendo tournaments were still fought without fixed length
shinai, those with longer shinai had a higher chance of winning, so the
length of the shinai was standardi zed . In olden times other accounts
relate that in spea r fighting contests, the longer weapon was stronger.

90

CHAPTER

n, Esstnct of Japa nat Swordsmansbip

These kinds of si mple stories of fe ncing matches, which are encou nters
w ith the unknown, also become a means (kuden) to understand the bala nce between real fig hting a nd com petition.
Kendo, a sport that uses shinai or bokken fo llowing the prohibitio n
of swords in 1912, is different from a real fight, which is decided wit h a
'sudden thrust or cut to t he body.' In a rea l
swo rd fight th e technique of 'pushing and
cutting' (oshikiri) is used. The world of real
fighting surpasses that of form (kata). When
the opponent cuts in with his sword, you pu ll
your own sword back, his body and sword
enter in, and you knock h im down by pushing. In combat you can see some people continue to cut in reflexively w ithout rea liz ing
that they have been cut by the sword of the
opponent. Know ing the techn ique of oshi kiri
"Summer grass
All that remains
Of the warrior's dreams."

reduces the degree of danger.

As the great master ofBuddhism and calligraphy Kobo Daishi showed
by not se lecting a particular brush, the reason warriors do not choose
between the shinai, bokken, or katana is because they understand muto
dori. Facing an oppo nent, a rmed w ith a sword, adapting to cha nge
(henka), hiding in the void (koku), accepting change, and acquiescing
to the void-this is never about killing the opponent or benefiting from
the agg ression o f your allies. The true mean ing of Myofuken (miraculous sword) and Shi nken shiraha to ri (seiz ing a reaL drawn sword) are
revealed in the light a nd sh adow as if fl ash frames in a movie.

The Aesthetics of Arms and Armor, or the Beautification

of the Soul
On the battlefield, samurai wore armor and helmets that in total had a
weight of around 40kg. The taijutsu employed when wearing this armor
was the refore different from the way of moving the body in modern
Judo. The skill is to move in a way that you do not feel the weight. Of
course, the equipment of modern soldiers is also very heavy, much more
than 40kg, so the taijutsu and taihenjutsu employed by the old samurai
while wea ring a rmor is still needed today.
In a situation in which one has to fight a soldier who is protected by
armor, inflicting damage with a si ngle stroke of the sword is a very difficult technique that requires exceptional ability. This gives rise to the need
for taijutsu using grappling and st riking with the sword, from the first cut
wit h the sword to th rusting a nd cutting into a weak area o r an opening
in the a rmor with the second cut to finish ing with the third cut. lt is also
important to thrust and strike with the first cut. Move into kumi-uchi,
strike a nd cut with the tachi, knock the opponent over, and take the head.
The principle is the same whether you use a yari or naginata.
The outcome of a fight between wa rriors was decided by the severity of their wounds. Someone who had been wounded seriously would
be encouraged by saying "it's only a light wound," and someone who
had been wounded lightly would be encouraged by saying "it's only a
scratch ." One must look beyond the wound to win the fight.
Military commanders wore body armor a nd helmets that were designed
a lso to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Throughout history humans have been decorating their faces and bodies to improve or
enh ance their natura l appeara nce. Huma ns do not just apply makeup
to their faces, however, but a lso to their hea rts. The clothes they wear
and the weapons they carry a re also a form of makeup. In othe r words,
the world of beauty is a world of illusion or false beauty. These days, the
word ' lie' (usa or kyo) is popular, and within makeup is hidden a strategy fo r interchanging beauty and ugliness.
Truth and lies, while opposite, are also depe ndent on one a nother.
There a re times when the practice of lying is used in o rder to sustain life.
In music a nd in drama, although you might start with facts, in order to
make a better perfo rmance, you might ' improve' the story by including untruthful things. O r you may produce something that avoids the
dangers of the times and, although not completely truthful, still speaks
to people's hearts. This is because the truth that is hidden in a lie can
reach the hea rt that is hidden deep within a person . This is one example
of heart-to-hea rt commun ion without words. Observing a scene from

92

C H APTER

2 Tbt Esswu of j apantst Swordsmanship

Statue of Miyamoto Musashi.

CHAPT H l

Tlu Essrncr of Ja!"'ntst Swordsmanship

93

the d rama The Kanjincho Scroll of Kanadehon Cllllshill-

gura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers would illustrate this

point effectively. It is said that the body of Miya moto
Musashi, based o n his w ishes, is bu ried standing in
fu ll armor. This has added to the poetic notion that he
wa nted to live on as a wa rrio r beyond his death.

The Connection Between the Sword and

Spear
It is said that techniques of the spear (soj utsu) we re

created in the Warring States period. During these

times, the spear was adva ntageous in order to thrust
into an opening, knock down, or cut down a wa rrior
protected by armor. Having understood this, when one

sees the image of a warrior fighting w ith the "eight

secret swords as o ne" (happo biken ichinyo; referring
to the interchangeability of weapons), the way o f the
sword is revealed for the first time. Let us continue
down the path of the sword and spear a little further.
Mankind first discovered digging ea rth a nd hunting
a nimals by attaching a pointed object to the end of a
long stick and spea ring the m. We cou ld indeed ca ll
early humans "primitive spearmen." There are ma ny
theories on the development and history of the spear,
but it is sa id that it was really in the Wa rring States
period that the spear was most used, a no techn iques of
the spear developed. The schools whose techniq ues I
inherited taught spear techniques as secret techniques
in o lde n times. The fo llowing record provides an
exa mple. Arou nd SSOBC, followers of Buddhism a nd
Vedism bega n living in Jsoshiki, a nd by the time of
Soga no lruka (a Buddhist ru ler around 640 A.D.) , the
number ofVedists had increased to more than 20,000.
Though lruka ru led the a rea, the Vedists' power was
considerable, a fact that made unification of japa n dif-

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m ~'"

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1J'- I ~u
Al ~ u!7 l 7J

ficult, and consequently the gods beca me anxious. In

order to add ress the divided nation, the gods gathered
togethe r to prepare nine laws of weaponry to protect

*'
\fl
.ttl..

-~

Densho of Muso ltto-ryu .

~111

,--

\:!1
94

CH APT~R 2

Tht Essmrr of japantst Swordsma11ship

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Japan from the Vedists and Buddhists. The methods they outlined were
known as 'kyuho,' whic h mea ns the way of the nine weapons:
1. Castle constructio n-stone walls a nd stone

hou ~;e~;.

2. Stone cross-stone of six corners in a cross.

3. Bow-eagle-feath er arrows made o f peach tree wood . A bow of three
sha ku.
4. Sword- attaching a stone sword to the end of Shogun Tree wood
(mukunoki) .
5. Spear-attaching a stone tip to the end of six shaku of Shogun Tree
wood.
6. Bo staff-eight shaku of Shogun Tree wood.
7. Ha lberd arrow-attachi ng a spear-like object that cuts on both edges
to three shaku of Shogun Tree wood.
8. Halberd-a spea r that cuts on both edges.
9. Tenmon, Chimon-horse-back tactics, etc.
Later, during the first year of the period of Enge n (1336-40), a nd from
this time, the sword, spear, a nd other weapons took on the ir mode rn
forms. There a re many w ritings that are extreme ly useful to discover
the principles of using the spea r. The reason that the spea r became so
important in the Warring States period was that it was far easier to strike
into the gaps in the armor of a n opponent by stabbing in and knocking
the m down, than to try and cut an oppone nt with a tachi. The swordsmen who have been revered as masters by later generations used the
most practical and effective weapons on the battlefield. lizasa Ienao was
a master of the naginata, lizasa Mori nobu was a n ex pert in Shinto-ryu
spear tech niques, ami Tsukaha ra Bokuden was a master of the bow a nd
spear. Bokuden later initi ated Honma Kageyuzae mon in spear fighting.
Koizumi lsenokami, pra ised as the best spearma n of Kozuke country,
was both a master swordsman and master of the spear.
Let us introduce a section of the densho l received that has a record
regarding spea r techniques. A look at this gives us a n idea of the process by
which a master spearmen is born, starting w ith a basis in taijutsu and sub,I

sequently developing spear skills. Looking at the densho of Shinden Fudoryu Daken-ta ijutsu, the school was fo unded by lzumo Yoshiteru in the
Eikyu period (1 113-18), and Shinmon Yoshikane developed it in taijutsu,
sword technique, and spear tec hnique in the Shocho period (1428-29) .
Mizuhara Yoshinari, the lord who, according to legend, was the illegitimate child of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, was said to be not on l y <~ master
of taijutsu, horsemanship, sword technique, and spear technique but a lso
the master of iai in the seventh yea r of the Kencho period (1 256) .

96

C II APTER

The Esuna 'if japa11cst SW<>rdsmanship

Picture of Minamoto no
..,.
Yoshiie, military commander.

Picture of a Tessen.

There were many schools of the spear, and a great variety o f types and
lengths of spears. There were those that were less tha n 5 shaku, those
over 2 ken, and those over 1 jo. All spears were basically categorized as
hand spears (te ya ri) and long bladed spears (ta ishin yari). The handles
of spears were made with va rious types of wood including red a nd white
oak a nd from the locquat tree. There were also spear handles made by
applying split a nd lacque red bamboo strips. Furthermore, the re were
also the iron spears (tetsu yari) made with iron h a ndles, a nd so-ca lled
kama yari (the tip of which was shaped like a sickle), three-pronged
spears (sa nbon ya ri) , tube spears ( kuda ya ri), hook spears (kagi yari) ,
a nd there was a cross-shaped spear (jumonji yari). Spears are classified
by their shape a nd the way of attaching the blade to the handle. Other
types included sim ple spears (su yari), socket spears (fukuro yari), sickled spears (kama yari), single-bladed spears (kikuchi yari) , single-sickle
spea rs (kataka ma ya ri) , and long-bladed spears (taishin ya ri). Inevitably,
the unification of the heart, body, a nd spear gave birth to innumerable
divine techniques, and the inheritance of spear fighting (sojutsu) , which
became the core of the many different schools, was born.

'
The Meaning of Kyusho
Let us talk a little about vital points (kyusho,

~.Wi) ,

as generally used in

martial arts. When considering kyusho, areas such as the pit of the stomach, throat, and neck are ofte n mentioned, but whPn someone is wearing
armor these areas are covered or pro tected. Depending on the school, the
word ' kyusho' is sometimes written with the characters fo r nine places

98

CHA rTER

Ib. Eswou of Japantst Swordsmanship

Picture of the w arrior

Mihonoya Shiro.

II>

or nine va ri eties. The characters kyusho (WHW), meaning 'places of suffering or perplexity,' can also be used .
In real combat, the moment you think kyusho exist, they cease to;
when you think they do not exist, they do. You must know the kyojitsu
of the kyusho. The knowledge of points used in moxibustio n and acupuncture and the knowledge of kyusho as used in Budo are complete ly
different. To "show a kyusho" (reveal an opening) can provoke an au ack
which can reveal the opponent's kyusho, and from which you can plan
a counter. In this sense, it is a type o f strategy (heiho).
As in the martial verse of the bo-jutsu gokui: "Thrusting the end of the
bo into the void, if you feel a response; that is the gokui,'' there is a teaching
to attain the secret of kyusho .~.p.JT wh ich reads "thrust the kyusho in the
void." It is said that the singer Misora Hibari, when immersed in recordi ng
(which would be the equivalent of actual combat for a Budoka) always sang
perfectly, which prompted o ne songwriter to comment, "However many
times she sings she really sings perfectly in the void, like a skylark singing in
the sky." To hit a kyusho, first know the truth of hicho no jutsu and tengu
tobikiri no jutsu, (leaping methods), then throw your heart to the sky and
hit the mark with the feeling of "a ll o r nothing."

The Tachi and the Way of the Warrior

Since th e Te nsho period (1573-92) o f the Wa rring States period, the
length of the tachi was from 2 s ha ku 2 sun to 2 shaku 3 or 4 sun at
its lo ngest. Incide ntally, a ltho ugh it varied depend ing o n the time and
region, the ave rage height of a Japa nese ma le until the ea rly pa rt of the
Meiji period was less than 160 em (5 shaku 3 sun). According to the Taiheiki, the tac hi of Nawa Nagatoshi in the Gcnko peri od {1 331- 33) was
4 s haku 3 sun. Saji Magozaburo of Ta nba ca rried a tac hi of 5 sha ku 3
sun. In the time of Emperor Gomurakami, Wada Masatomo's tachi was
4 shaku 5 sun, a nd it is said that Fujiwara no Yasunaga drew a tachi of 4
shaku -8 sun. Tsumaga Naga mune ca rried a tachi of 5 shaku 3 sun. In the
time of the battle of the Fuefu ki Pass, Yazu Kojiro had a tachi of 6 shaku
3 sun. Akamatsu Ujinori carried a tachi of 5 shaku 7 sun. The sword of
Togashi Masachika appea rs in the tales of sto rytellers as 9 shaku 3 sun.
The Ninja sword had a blade length of 1 sha ku 6 to 7 sun . In the
Tokugawa period, a blade longer tha n 2 sha ku was called a kata na. Up
to 1 shaku 9 sun was called an o-wak izashi, up to l shaku 7 sun was
ca lled a chu-wakizashi, and up to 9 sun 9 bu was called a sho -wakizashi.
The uchi-gata na that began to appear from the Muromach i period we re
initially 1 sha ku 4 sun, but towards the end of the period went from
shaku 7 or 8 sun to 2 shak u in length.

100

CH A PT ER

n, Esstntt of ]apantst Swordsrnansbip

P1cture of M iyamoto
no Yoshiie.

11>

With the daito a nd shoto (a pair of long and short swords), the long
sword is sometimes made into a naginata o r yari, and the long a nd short
swords are used together as a pair. The short sword was also effective
when used in con fined spaces against multiple enemies. There is a proverb : "The short sword can be used as a long sword and the long sword as
a short sword ."
Real common sense means, when in a fight, look with 'extraordinary eyes' (kime,

~fiR).

Kime are also an example of "the eyes of god"

(shingan, 1$1m); when in combat. this becomes kaname (filli!R) (another

reading of shingan) , a lso meaning the ' key' o r 'main point,' said to be a
ve ry important insight. The ' key' to the incident in which Nasu no Yoichi played a crucia l role for the Genji cla n in defeating the Heike cla n is
contained in this idea. Yoichi was a famous archer who hit the ceremonia l war fan of the invading Heike fleet at sea with an impossible shot,
providing a symbolic prelude to the defeat that awai ted them .
When you thin k of using a weapon you are at o nce enslaved by it. It
is important to consider not ca rrying a sword, not wielding a stick. but
using what is avai lable at the time as a wea po n. Anything can become a
weapon . Look at a thing's adva ntages and disadvantages as a weapon or
at armor, shields, and horses- anything natural or manmade can be used
as a weapon .
"The way of the sa murai is found in death." Time passes, seasons
continue to change- the four seasons, shiki ILY*, phonetically share the

sa me sounds as the timing of death, shiki jEff;; reminding us of the cyclic

properties of life a nd death.
If you unravel the phrase "nino tachi " (usua lly referring to the idea
of two strikes, whe re the first is a setup fo r the second) into a first a nd
second sword, you fi nd the small and la rge swords of the daisho and the
use of two swords in combination. You can also see that nito (= JJ. two
swords used together) can mean nito C
= rMI. two fig hts). The ni no tac hi
of fighting in armor is the kuka n ( ~H~) through which one enters the
world. of fighting; it is a method of thrusting through a nd entering the
defences of an opponent. In the case that you and the opponent are not
wearing armor, ni no tachi naturally changes. Two swords then become
'with sword ' a nd 'without sword,' a lso 'serious' (shinken, :R?IIJ) or 'real
sword' (shinken, ~9liJ).
The sword, naginata, and ya ri change according to the times. In the
secret scrolls of the Shinkage-ryu, Tengusho Hiden no Maki are the names of
illustrat ions o f techniques-Ransho, Kokyoku, Unsetsu, and Denko-and
pictures of samura i using long a nd short swords. Someone lacki ng knowledge in bufu would undoubtedly reca ll the image of the long and short
swords being used in Miyamoto Musashi's Nito-ryu . Masters like Koizumi

102

C IIAPTER

Ik Esuna of ]apantst SworJsmansbip

Jsenokami would probably have derided a Bugeisha with such a limited

sense: they'd have explained that in such a picture, it is essential that the
figure have a tachi in one hand, and a yari, naginata, or naga maki in the
other; explaining that it was a secret meaning. Thus, the picture Tengusho
Hiden no Maki has a secret meaning, and people who are not familiar with
the period of fighting with a tachi can never truly understand. The point is
that the kodachi is not just a kodac hi-a yoroidoshi (dagger), a spearhead,
the blade of a naginata, and unarmed combat all have the same role; they
are all used for the same purpose and are interchangeable. I urge you to
see this as a fight scene depicting koteki ryoda of juppo sessho.

Picture of a dragon.

Picture of the priest Dharma.

CHAPTER

llr Essmu of japanm Swo rdsman<bip

103

Nuku i!l~-~ <

When clrawing the sword, initiating the movement by p lacing the thum b o n the tsuba is
generally ca lled koiguchi o kiru. However. the ' ln.' or hidden, version o f this technique
uses th e index fi nd er and ring finger to push from below.
The foream1, elbow, and body are used to d raw the sword with the left or right hand.
This expression fo r the m ethod of in itiating the draw, koiguchi o kiru, meaning literally
"cutti ng the carp's mouth." resem bles the ph rase "carp cli mbing a waterfall." or "ascending carp." (shori, }Ul!.) which has the same sou nd as the word 'sho ri' (IJH'IJ), meaning
'vidory.' Therefore, to know the way of drawing the sword that lead s to vidory, it is essential to know the phenomeno n of In and Yo . People who understand this p henomeno n
can understand the real fo rm of Kage-ryu and can see the way of drawing the sword . This
tsuba is a co mmemorative work made by Sanjugo Naoki, and th e name of the work was
ca rved into the tsuba.

'

104

C HAPr c R

2 Tbt Essnrtt of j apantst SworJsmatosbip

Tenchijin no Kamae

~ :it!!.AO)fl'/l

The master swordsman from Akita distrid, Ono-oka Takatoshi, was fam ous for his use
o fTenchij in no Kamae. The sword is held diagonally in a position close to the right ear
with 9 sun ( I sun =approximately 3.03 em) between the sword and the body. If the left
leg is p ulled back, then a cut can enter the o pponent's left side with consid erable force.
For exa mple, if the opponent's sword cuts in first, O no-oka would immediately parry this
cut and return a cut. Then, if the right leg is pulled back, a powerful cut can be in itiated
to the face.

106

C H APT~R 2

Ibt Essrnu of japantst Swordsmanship

Tsuki

Control with the tip of the sword (kissaki, IJ.J:it:). This is also the tip of the spirit (kissaki,
~:it ) . As you can see from the photograph, the opponent's kote (fo rearm) is covered as
well as the entire body.

108

CHAPT E R

Tbt Esstntt

of Japantst Swordsmanship

Kote

,J. . .=f.

If this is seen in a nash of inspiration; the rhyme of the thousand-armed Goddess of

Mercy of th(' Sanjusangendo can be heard.

CHA PTER

nr Essmu of japantst Swordsmanship

109

Goshintai; body in self defence

~~~1*

It is impo nan t to wear th e daito and the shoto in the sa me manner; just as it is the same
when either sword is thrust at you .

- -

116

C HAPT ER

Tbt Essrnct

of j apantst S wo rdsmanship

-- -

Placing the tachi in the belt, rotate behind and tie back the sleeves w ith the sageo.

The sword is drawn. Do not rush the draw.

118

CHArT ER

n, Em nu of japanm Swordsmanship

Receive the handle of the opponent's sword while maintaining the character eight

r.

This becomes e1ght swords, wh1le drawing changes to eight directions. Then pray and emanate ki energy.

C IIAPrloR

I7u Essrnu of JapantSr Swordsmanship

119

Happo Biken

J\i-!~~U

Gu n ryaku (war stra tegy) a nd tenmon chimon (astrology and physiography)

)oju tsu a nd ha n bo jutsu
Rokusha ku bo and tai no kuraid ori (body positio ning)
Naginata and bisento jutsu
Kod achi and jutte jutsu
Kisha (horseback riding) and su ijutsu (swimming)
Shurike n a nd senba n-nage
So jutsu
Riken
Biken jutsu refers to ta iju tsu kenpo; addi ng bikenjutsu to the happo (eight pri nciples)
ma kes 1-)'l.lho (nine princi ples), th e generic tc nn fo r the skills o f the Bushi. T he names
kosshi-jutsu, ko p po-jutsu, jutai-jutsu, da ke n-ta ijutsu, and ninpo -tai jutsu were created to
describe

taiju L~u.

the "a rt o f certain victory: a nd then the na me biken jutsu was devel-

o ped. In happo bikcn jutsu we call th is position shachiteki seigan (diagona l postu re ).
This is a ka mae in wh ich you ca n immediate ly cut the opponent if they a ttack. Pull yo ur
right foot beh ind by the wid th of you r sho u lders. For example, if the o ppo nen t thrusts
or cuts to your a bdo me n, immed ia tely turn the wrists and kn ock h is sword away. Sasaki
Kojiro's swallow Cllt (tsu bame kiri) demo nstrates th is rhythm a nd use of kyojutsu.

There were eight young, brave

soldiers whose family names
began with R. (dog). and they
appear in a famous story entitled Nanso Saromi Hakken-den
by Takizawa Bakin.

C:ltAPTLR

Tllf Esuntt of japantst Swordsmansbip

121

Tsukikomi

~ft:lb

Seigan no Kamae. Th e opponen t is in Daijodan. Stand in Seiga n p ointing the sword with
your whole hean (m ind) at the opponent's chest; yuut eyes stare into th e opponent's
eyes. Without allowing the op ponent's Daijodan to enter you r though ts, at the mo ment
the opponent steps in to cut, let out a kiai. Just as the opponent falt ers, d rop the left knee
to the fl oor and thrust in.
The tech nique o f Tsukikomi changes co mpletely when you are weari ng armor, or in the
case that the oppon en t has a wea pon o r something that ca n be used as a shield . The
pl ace to thrust has trad itionally bee n taught th rough o ral transmission (kuden), since the
densho is not specific of where to d o so; it simply says "thrust." When thrusting in there
is always variation (hen ka) in the thrust. At the place that you thru st, there is a lifeline
(seimeiscn, 1:~*i), or life evasio n (scimeisen, 1ofr;11J), and a death line (shisen, 11:~ ). or
d eath point (sh isen, 1E:k). Being m ade to remember this mom entary po int (sen, :J<} in
combat ( sen,~ ) m eans that by this techn ique, taijutsu has the power to penetrate with a
d agger or thrust with a sword . Thrusting with the left foot, written with the character 'to
sit. ' (:'f) refers to the seated po sture Fudoza, the "im movable heart" (ko koro no fudo} , a
calm heart, a state of mi nd.

122

CH APHR

llt Esstnu of japanm Swordsmanship

Sayugyaku (oppos ite position) l,;..(j;Jf!

Three variations. This kamae is lchi no Kamac. Namely, the sword poi Ills straight, perpendicular to the face. If the opponem cu ts in from Daijodan it is easy to flip (knock) their
sword back on either the left o r righ t. If it is flipped (knocked back) on the right. execute
kote gaeshi and attack the right side of the opponent's neck. If you deflect the auack to
the left. and the opponent's body turns left, perform kote gaeshi and cut the opponent
completely in two.
!chi no Kamae. First, know the princi ple of one (ichi) that is unity. This is the way of
enlightment of Zen. Sayugyaku is not simply the opposite of left and right in a technique;
the meaning is more profound and encompasses the eternal opposites of truth and fa lsehood, yin and yang. It is easy to thin k of lchi no Kamae as a staning technique, but in
fact it demands an advanced level of skill. Wi th regard to kote, some people think that
this is t.he area around the back of the wrists or lower arm t.hat can be cut, but this is not
the case. I would like you to think of it as small, almost imperceptible va riations and
ted1niques using the wrists as pivots. Cutting someo ne completely in two means with in
t.he movement, the mo ment you see the opening. that is the moment of opponunity-this
is the secret.

124

CII 4PTER

n, Emnu if Japantst Swordsmarubip

Tsukigake ~Seiga n no Kamae. The opponent is in Daijod an.

If you were to m ake a thrust, the oppo nent wo uld
cut down and bo th parties would be cut. Therefo re,
the thrust is mad e by stepping with the right fo ot
then stabbing with the left foot. When doing this,
if th e opponent were to avoid the th rust, immed iately turn the wrists and cut in to the oppo nent's
right side.
The cultivation of taihenjutsu th at tricks the o pponent into thinking they h ave cu t you makes a profou nd and awe-inspiring impressio n . Make the
opponent sever the con nection between clo ud
and water to render the opponent u nable to cut
you . Shine light in that space (kuka n ) and in th at
insta nt, turn the wrists and cut the left abdomen . If
you are wearing armo r, your th rust is like a sh ield .
Turning your body, cut in (kiri -kakaru) to the
opponent's right side. I would like you to think
deeply about the character here-kakaru (lli). Cutting into th e right side, the next move is a secret
transm ission. You must try to imagine the chaos o f
war with th is idea of kiri-kakaru in mind .
Sayu gyaku l.i.ti ~
Three variations. In Gedan no Ka mae, lift ing the
sword above the opponent's head o nce

\\~ ll

con-

fuse them. Following this deception, immediately

turn the wrists and execute a righ t abdo men cut,
o r turn the hands over and execute a left abdomen
cut o r thrust.
In this move you suike the opponent's helm et
or above their face without cutting in. However,
at this time, you possess the "unmovable h ea rt"
(fudoshin), thu s co nfu sing the opponent. You
make this tach i stri ke with you r h eart and the
technique as o ne. Even though you do no t cut
the helmet. the fo rce of your spirit casts down the
oppon ent's heart- this is the spirit of kumiuchi.
The small, subtle and almost imperceptib le techniques of the tach i (tachi no kote) become kumiuchi; you therefo re d o not use d ynamic techniques.
Together with the body of the tach i, th e h andle,
~nci

the

<~ rm or,

cutting and thrusting into the right

side and left side, you kno ck the op ponent down

and kill them.

126

OI APT E~ 2

Tbe Essence of japanrsr Swordsmanship

Kiriage ifJf.l:
Chudan no Ka mae. The o ppo nent is in Daijodan.
Exactly at the instant the opponent cuts down, you
turn the wrists first, and cut up from the right side
to the left shoulder. At this time, if the op po nent h as
cut down, their sword is flipped up, immediately turn
the wrists and thrust in. This is called Chudan kiriage
gaesh i.
There are many po ssible variatio ns of your o pponent's auack- he cou ld be using no sword (muto),
a kod achi, an o dachi; o r a sword, tachi, or katana.
Wh en your opponent cuts in, you should assume that
this could be not just a single sword cut, but one with
a lo ng weapo n or naginata, o r a strong cut with centrifugal force. You must create the moment naturally
in which you avoid o r d efl ect the blow. This could be
call ed the fo rce of wind or wind power. Therefore, it
is important to persevere in the martial ways (bufu
ikkan; the fi rst two characters of which are 'martial,'
ii\:, and 'wind,' II!.). In this mo ment, using you r taijutsu technique and the power of your h eart, you flip
up the cut th at arises from the opponent's hean, technique, and body (shingitai). At the same time, make a
coveri ng thrust at the o pponent's right side, turn the
wrists, and change the body and thrust up into the
opponent's right side. When fi ghting an oppo nent in
armo r, it is advantageous to cut up.
Sayugyaku

li.-i i l.!l!

Three variations. l imd1ijin no Kamae. Facing straight

o n, the sword poi nts straigh t up from around the
area o f the right ear. The upper h alf of the body faces
a diagonal angle to the right. The opponen t cuts in
fro m Daijod an. Pu ll the right foot back o ne step.
Immediately cut u p fro m the opponent's left side.
Pull the left foot b ack to avoid , and cut up d iagonally
from the lower right.
Facing the op ponent's desperate attack, th is ted1nique
is executed with a kind of 'pull ing through' energy
(kiryoku). If you use the right foot as a pivot, cut up
and chop into the oppo nent's left side, and if you use
the left foot as a pivot, cut up into the opponent's right
side. When you cut up, see in your mind your attack
harmonizing with the win d power in a mou ntain
storm blowing up fro m the lower side of th e opponent. This then changes to 'secret sword' (biken).

128

CHo\PTER Z

Tbt Essma of japanrst Swordsmarrsbip

Kirisage iliJr-F
Tench i no Kamae. The oppo nent is heacl on. The sword is held up in front. The opponent cuts d own from Daijodan. Receive the cut by d rawing Lhe left foot back; if Lhe
o pponent advances, the handles o f Lhe swords meet. Push firmly, dropping Lhe tip of Lhe
sword d own to the left while tu rning Lhe body to Lhe right side, and cut down from Lhe
o pponent's left shoulder. In this space (kukan ) you use Lhe fulcrum o f the elbows and
forearms to change and cut down with the sword.
Avoid the opponent's d ownward cu t as Lho ugh catchi ng a ball; do not receive it head
o n, but adapt to its direction, alter Lhe body positio n, then cut d own. Giving Lhe blade
precedence (yusen, lf7\:), o r gently avoiding the b lade (yusen,

!1 ~ ) ,

you push and cut

(oshikiri), and tl1en by changing your body position you can inflict d amage on the
o pponent.
Sayugyaku ti..ti ~
Three variations. Tenchijin no Ka mae. Turn the body to the left and cut up from the right
side. The handles of the swo rds meet. Kick up and th rust in.
Kick up, according to how Lhe oppo nent moves, and according to the power o f the kick
as it travels down. Move to attack into the openi ng. O ne techn iqu e (itte, - -'f.) yields endless possible variatio ns.

IJ>T IJI\'clf>

Kasugaidome

m Jl:

Gedan no Kamae. The o pp onent is in Daijodan. From Gedan no kamae, move 10 the
right and the right again (in a circle). The opponent naturally turns (correspo nding 10
your movement). Immediately pull the left foot back, and with a kiai, raise the sword u p
through Chudan , )odan no Kamae. Just after yo u cut down with the sword, turn right and
cut the wrist over the left side of the opponen t.
Rather than looking at the oppo nent, in kasugaidome, correct yourself by referring to
the understanding of the kuden up to this p oint. This will bring about the destructio n of
the opponent's technique. The imponant th ing h ere is to make your natural posture and
natural hean the secret. As my master said, nature lies in a sincere spirit.
Sayugyalm tJ=.;fji![!
Three variations. As befo re, cut up into the opponent' s kote and th rust as you turn. To
repeat: kote is cutting down fro m a close distance with a small technique.

II

.1~-~~~~~~

CH ., PHR

2 Ur sunu of j apanm SworJrmDnsbip

133

Kochogaeshi

'J'tl~

From Daijodan no Kamae. The o pponent is in Seigan. Drawing your left foot b ack diagonally, turn swiftly to the right. Remaining in Daijodan, make a light turn to the right
with the movement o f a small butterfly, and at the same time cut in to the oppo nent's
kote. This techn ique is also called small butterfly cut." This is the method of the mist
butterfly" that preserves its moving su ength while playi ng with the o ppo nent's greater
su ength.
Sayugyaku li..ti ~
Three variations. Turn to the right and cut at the opponent's righ t shoulder. Also , variations involve d1anging to a th rust, etc (kuden) .

134

C H APT ER

Tbr Emn(( of Japanm Swordsmanship

Shiho giri ll9:1Ji

Tenchi Hasso no Kamae in a right diagonal posture. Reverse cut to the oppo nent's left
side then turn the wrists. Reverse cut to the right side, then immediately t:llter thrusting
(kuden ).
Sayugyaku Li:ti~
Three variatio ns. After the last thrust, quickly cut down onto the next opponent's head.
Alternatively, execute a gyaku -suso -barai.

C H APT H.

Tit Esstnrt '!f j apantst 5w.n Jsmansip

137

Happo giri J\1Jlft]f

Tend1 i Hasso no Kamae. This is also called a sacrifice technique (sutemi). From Hasso,
cut down to the opponen t's left side. Turning to the right with th e body, cut d own to
the o pponent's left side; ne.xl immediately turn
same way.
Sayugyaku

to

the right and cut do wn again in the

J.:;(jif!

Th ree variations. This is a techniq ue on the left, cutting the oppo nent in two (kuden).

138

CHAPTUl 2

n, Essmu of j apantst Swordsmanship

CII APTER 2

Tbt Esstntt of Jpntst Swordsmanship

139

Tsuki no Wa {Full Moon) 1! zflfl

Seigan no Kamae. From this kamae you can stab the opponent's neck by moving into
Shin lchimonji no Kamae. Also called "secret turn thrust." The character for neck (shu,
9 ) ca n also mean poem- I urge you to savor the true meaning of the Hundred Poems
by the Hundred Poets.
Sayugyaku :li:ti~
Three variatio ns. Thrust into the opponem's side. Also, the tech nique of thrusting into
the abdomen.

140

CH APTER

Tbt Essmu of Japanm Swordsmanship

Kenpo of the eternal cycle of birth, death, and re-birth

It should be taken for granted that the mental attitude of a Bushi was a secret in each school.

Yagyu-ryu Seigan no Kamae ;flJIJ1:.VfEW!iHQJWi

The vertical Seigan no Kamae of the famous Yagyu-ryu is a special characteristic of the sdwol.
Opening to the width of the shoulders, the tip of the sword is pointed at the opponent's eyes.
Standing in Seigan is a natural posture. There are three advantages:
I. The tip of the sword is an obstacle for the opponent, making it difficult for them to cut in.
2. If the opponent

cuL~

in, it is possible to parry the sword behind to the left or right.

3. At the same time, it is easy to cut into the opponent's openi ng.

Densho of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu.

142

CH APTER

Th Esstnu of Jap<mtst Swod.smarubip

~4?m~..:CO)~U7*

Jukuryo danko (action after contemplation.}

C HA PT ER

71u &una of japanm SworJ.mwnrbip

143

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Gedan no Kamae rflO)ffi

There was a sword m aster called ltori Tamenobu from the Rikuzen region . He founded
the Ko-ryu and h is characteristic was to stand in Gcdan no Kam ae. This is a posture in
which he would wait for the opponent to cut in whether the opponent cuts to the side o r
face, hurl his sword up, and thrust into the opening.

152

CIIAPTER

Tit Esstnrt of Japantse Swordsmanship

JJ

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CHAPTER

The Practice of Budo

Toward the True Gokui

There is a te ndency to think that the gokui is the
ultimate, but this changes according to the subjectivity (shukan, ..lll)of the person or the main intuition/sixth sense (shuka n, :EWJ) of the moment It is
essential to rea lize this. If you stick to your favo rite technique in combat, the o pponent will quickly
ascertain this, with potentially fata l results. It is
there fore importa nt to know that gokui starts from
the phenomenon of In a nd Yo, the ba lance of opposing forces in the uni verse. Knowing this pheno menon, the power of In, the advantage of the natural
phenome non o f gravity, a nd being enlightened to
this real for m, you will begin tu understand what
the gokui means.
The pursuit o f o nly ' favor ite' techniques was
ad mo nished as ego tistical and self-serv ing, a nd
these techniques became kn own as ' tengu waza,'
which can be translated into something like ' braggart techniques' (a tengu is a mythical, hu man-like
beast with a long, protruding nose that lives in the
mounta ins. They a re often associated with egotism
and pride). This is one exa mple of the Tengu-geijut-

surOI1 (Discourse on the art of the Tengu) . This book fro m the Edo period
was written by Issai Chozanshi, a retainer o f the Sekiyado cla n in which
tengu spea k on the goku i of Budo. Taka matsu Sensei used to say: uPeople
have a tendency to be tengu (h ighly proud of themselves) in genera l, but
being a tengu is important- from amo ngst these people a re born masters.

154

Picture of Miya mot o-01

Yoshitsune leaping the
eig ht boat s continuous
by Tsukioka Yoshitosht

Himeji Castle. li>

It is sometimes acceptable in life to be a tengu; that kind of vehemence

might be necessary." This is because fighting means maximizi ng the free

use of a man's weapons and a woman's weapons in all forms. Encapsulated in this is an interest in both sexes (ryosei, jlllj'f1) and 'good military strength' (ryosei, .&~) . However, as your boastfulness (tengu, X~~J)
increases, do not become a fool (tengu,

~t&) .

If you drown in lust, you

loose your fighting ability.

What I am trying to say is that when you read books like Tengu-geijutsuron and Nelw no Myojutsu (The Cat.'s Mysterious Skill) - books regarding
Budo- do not get obsessed by them . It is important to clear your head
and think simply, just as the word tengu can "change to a fool" (tengu, lJli
~). We must not forget that books have the power to brainwash people.
It is important not to read with an uncritical eye, and not to believe
everything you read. Do not hang everyt hing simply o n the contents
of a book-just as the tengu can "change to a fool," the cat ca n lose to a
mo use; don't take anything for granted . There are endless kinds of possibilities. Taking the famous book Hagakure by Ya mamoto Tsunetomo, said
to be a book from which you can understand Bushido, you must start by
understanding the import ance o f the questions such as "was the author
a Bushi and how much did he understand Bushido?"
There are often two stone guardia n lion dogs (koma-inu, ~);:) placed
outside the main building of a Shinto shrine, and these dogs a re often
called the 'returning lion' and ' facing lio n .' One day, one of these gua rdia n lion dogs was s tolen from a famous shrine's treasure house. The
fo llowing day, the remaining koma-inu began to cry at night, causing
trouble in the neighborhood. Howeve r, after the stolen koma-inu was
returned, the crying stopped . The local priest, upon hearing this, began
to worship the two koma-inu by praying to them, so their reuniting
became a symbol of prayer. I heard th at Taka matsu Sensei also made a
pair of koma-inu while praying.
I find that the inspiration humans gain from books and the innate
connection we share with music have a powerful harmony. When I read
Musashi 's The Book of Five Rings, written about the five elements earth,
water, fire, wind, a nd emptiness, if I put on the jazz CD "Take Five," I
can read it in one sitting. Listen to the martial rhyme from the heavenly
musical score of chi, sui, ka, fu, a nd ku. After this, face a piece of paper
and paint a picture of Budo or kenpo. Walk the path from martial fighting to martial art and to Bushido, and that path is reflected as the three
paths of land, sea, and sky.
By doing this, the popular image of the s;:~ murai as depicted in films
will disappear. Th is is not a true image of samurai. If we wish to express
za nshin ( 7~{,) , with a formal understanding it means the state of mental

156

C H,PTER

Tbt Practiu

of Budo

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awa reness afte r an attack. However, in the info rmal understanding it

comes to mean ' bold and original' (za nshin, !f,lf;lW) . If you cannot distinguish the fo rma l from the informa l meaning you will not achieve
the correct form of za nshin. Practical zanshin of Budo lies somewhere
between the previous posture a nd the subsequent one, in a n etherea l,
constant state of change.
The 'Niten' of Musashi's N iten Ichi Ryu means all things being in flux
through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; change again and
again (niten = !l!i, santen _=:::!j!i); showing the flow that changes in this
way. Nature cha nges because it is beautiful. It is beautiful so it changes.
Needless to say, this change must be natural, otherwise a great disaster
awaits. The world changes agai n a nd again-fertile land is left behind by
floods, seeds survive in the earth of an area devastated by fire, a llow ing
flowers to bloom, changing continually.

Large, Small, the Heart, Technique, and Body

There is a famous legend o f Issun boshi (the inch-high samurai, a character similar to Tom Thumb in the West). Several yea rs after his birth,
Issun Boshi o nly grew to the size of an adult's little finger, despite being

158

C HAPTER

Tb, Practiu

of B11Jo

healthy. He h ad a dream of going to the city and becoming a samurai, so,

using a rice bowl as a boat, he went down the river to the capital. There
he was allowed to serve under a well known warrior fami ly. One day,
when the princess went to pray at the famous Kiyomizu temple, she was
attacked by a large demon. Issun Boshi killed the demon singlehandedly, saving the princess. When the priest of the temple waved the magic
hammer left behind by the demon, the diminutive warrior turned into a
handsome young man.
When talking about Budoka, the following people come to mind: Judo's
Kyuzo Mifune Sensei, Aikido's Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, and Karate's
Gichin Funakoshi Sensei. These three men are not very tall, a nd because
they had sm aller frames it is said that they had good balance. They also
devoted their lives to tra ining, increasing their skills a nd abilities, and
therefore grew to become famous martial artists. Most people who stood
in front of these teachers h ad the impression that they were much larger
than themselves. In the same way that there is a long and short sword,
there are large and small people. However, through the development of
heart, technique, and body (shingitai), both large and small can acquire
ability. The greater also serves for the lesser. This means that the Budo of
people who know their own values cannot be measured.

Master and Student

At one ti me Takamatsu Sensei's martial name was 'Chosui' (clear water)
and he took great care that his heart a nd mind were like clear water.
This martial name overlaps with the idea in the Japanese proverb "Mizu
kiyokereba uo sumazu," meaning, "fish will not live in a stream if the
water is too clean ." My master took ve ry good care of the divine spring
of nature, that is, the flow of clear water. Fish that oppose living in this
divine spring, or you might say people who have lost the awa reness as
Budoka, lose the way ofBudo. There is anothe r proverb in Japa nese: "San
jyaku sagatte shi no kage wo fumaz u," meaning "walk three feet behind
and do not step o n the shadow of your teacher." It would seem that
the average person would on ly accep t that this relates to the attitude of
the student within the student/ teacher relationship. However, how many
people realize that it is the master that stands three feet in front of the
student protecting the student from an attack from the enemy by using
his own shadow as a shield? Furthermo re, a teache r is someone that
defends tradi tio n. They stand in front, and also look into the futmf'.
I continued training with a mind not to step on the sh adow of my
master, but after raising students fo r forty or fifty years there is some-

160

CHAPTER

n, Practiu of B~tdo

thing I rea lized-the real form of the shadow is the very figure of the
master. While taking care not to step on the shadow of your master, you
may never understand your master's hea rt. Now I have passed the same
age as my master, and I realized that in orde r to protect my students I
must guide them to look ahead. All students need to be protected, not
just the good ones. Let us write the cha racter for master (shisho, flililfr)
as one who shows justice (shisho, ~JE ) . Among the many kind words
that Takamatsu Sensei said, I can recollect a postcard he wrote w ith the
words: "I wi ll make Hatsumi-sa n a loving pupi l." Li fe is a mysterious
thing, and if there is a good teacher and a good student, then life can be
continued . If a student that h as comparable ability to the teacher is chosen a nd they succeed the master, they must be carefu l not to loose the
ability that they receive. I received a work of call igraphy from Takamatsu
Sensei with the words "ware nashi," which, directly translated, mean "no
self." However, it is important to rea lize that 'wa re' (self) can refer a lso
to another person. Failure to understand this mea ns you will not be able
to understand your master's words. That is to say, 'ware nashi' can also
be hea rd as, 'no opponent,' or 'no enemy.' Nonetheless, there are times
between the student and master when the retainers supplant their lo rds.
However, only the pure relationships survive-it is only a pure and small
stream that is al ive in the clear vital water.
Speaking of the student-teacher relationshi p, none had more fa mous
stude nts than Ko izumi lsenoka I. His lineup of famous names included :
Hikita Bungoro, Jingo lz unoka mi, Okuyama Kyugasai, Ma rume Kura ndo,
Yagyu Mitsuyoshi, Matsuda O ribe nosuke, Naka Yazae mo n, Ashikaga
Yoshiteru, a nd Toyotomi Hodetsugu. Yagyu Mitsuyos hi was later called
Yagyu Tajima Nyudo Sekishusa Sogoni after he entered the priesthood.
Yagyu Mune nori was his fifth son.

162

C HAPTER

3 The Practicr of Budo

Picture of the female warrior

Tomoe gozen.

CHA PTER

Tl:e Practice of Budo

163

There is a traditiona l Japa nese card ga me in wh ich one hundred famous

poems written by one hundred famous writers are used. The selection
of poems is different for every game, a nd is like a col lection of songs of
the gokui in relation to Budo and life. Reading this can make you calm
a nd content. This is because songs carry tradition, and within that you
can see through to the 'secret' (hiden) . The character used for counting
poems is written 'shu' ( ), wh ich sha res the same sound as the word
'neck' (shu, ). It may be said that in the hundred poems (shu, ),
o ne may see the hundred heads (necks, shu, 1lil) of the enemy. Another
reading fo r neck ( ) is ' kubi,' which is phonetically the sa me as 'nine
secrets' (kubi, 1Lft!), o r 'eternal secret' (7\f.t!). Incidentally, the character
for ' lo rd ' (t ) is a lso pronounced as 'shu.' Yagyu Mitsuyoshi also wrote

100 Songs of the Shinkage. I possess the book of 100 Songs of Bolwden,
written by Tsukuhara Bokude n. In addition, there is the Yoshimori Book
of 100 Songs, Hozoin Booh of 100 So11gs, and the Monster Book of 100 Songs.
The Book of One Hundred Stories of Demons Traveling aL Night resembles the
prayer of One Hundred Goings (0-hya kudo Mairi).

Between Densho and Kyojitsu

Densho and Kyoj itsu- this means the tran smission (densho) and the
truth (jitsu) that exists today (k yo) is important. These d ays, I've come to
think that the meaning o f densho is connected to the life of the universe.
For example, heredity can be defined as not only something between a
parent and child but a lso something between li ke minded people who
are conn ected to the unive rse and connected by some bond or destiny,
making a transmissio n that lives o n. Wit hout this kind of heredity,
would there be tra nsmission (densho) fo r long? A good example can be
found in the scro lls of Budo. Often, between the na mes of sucessors of
the lineage is recorded "generatio n omilled." This is because the masters
recorded had such a stro ng bond other na mes in the lineage were omitted. The kyo of the transmission is not fa lsehood (kyo, !R), wh ich is the
normal reading of kyo, but rather it is real. People thought these maste rs
we re legends, but even though they were called 'false,' they passed on
genuine techniques to the student, and hence they were in fact real. After
being married for a few years but unable to father children, Ta kamatsu
Sensei sa id to us, "You can still love children even if they are not your
own." In Densho and Kyojitsu, nothing more is needed than love.
There is also a form of densho in kabuki. In the region of Edo, correct
form was considered a virtue, but in the Kyoto a nd Osaka regions there
was more virtue in the interior expressiveness of the practitioner rather

164

CHA Prl R

Tbt Practia of Budo

Picture of kumiucht.

C HAPTER

Ibc Practice

of BuJo

165

than the form. In this the kyojitsu that transmits the forms lives. Let me
introduce you to two stories of the performances of the kabuki actor
Ichikawa Danjuro. The first: in every play there was a scene where Ichikawa Danjuro would sit on a cushion, and the stage hand was appointed
to position the cushion wherever he would sit. However, everyday, after
the performance was completed, he would complain that the positioning
of the cushion was bad, and strike the stage hand. This would continue
until one day the stage hand was no t struck by Danjuro, so, believing
he had found the correct place to position the cushion, he made a mark
where he had placed it. He decided if it appeared Danjuro
was about to strike him the next day for not putting the cushion in the right place, he would ki ll him, so he hid a knife in
his pouch waiting for the end of the play. However, that day
he was not struck by Danjuro. At that point the stage hand
suddenly realized and we nt down on his knees begging for
forgiveness. "Master, I'm so sorry," he cried, "! didn't have
the ability to see the moveme nt of your performance, I'm
only a novice and I' m greatly ashamed to say that I had a
thought of killing you master, therefore please punish me in
any way you deem necessary!" To this Danjuro responded, "I
see ... well, as you told me l am putting you r life on the line
in this performance, so don't worry about it."
The second: in a scene where Danjuro was doing a turn, a person skilled
with the sword thought if he saw an opening (suki) he would cut him.
But there was no opening and his efforts were confounded. From then
on he respected Danjuro as a master o f the way of the sword. These two
episodes a re told as parables for building flawless form.

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166

C HAPTER

Ibt Prattict

of Budo

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practice in the do jo? " I a nswered, "The dojo is like a
pool." You start by getting the people who cannot swim

..,

to swim. In this way life can be compared to a pool.

Earlier, I mentioned the work of Fushikaden (Trans-

mission on the Appearar1ce of a Flower). My master Takamatsu Se n se i sometimes praised "the nature o f a
flower, the nature of ba mboo" (kasei chikusei) and
loved flowers deeply. The cha racter for flower is composed of the ch a rac ters for 'grass in transformation'
(1t.). Perh aps he was compa ring a strong life force to
flowers or grass. Even if you cut a flower, it will bloom
again. Even if it is dried a nd has lost its shape, if the
roots re ma in, there a re ma ny flowers that will bloom
aga in the following yea r- that is life. As a ma n ia! artist, I teach the essence of Budo to people who have the
resolution fo r Budo; I am returning to the spirit of the
past. Until now there have bee n many occasions when
I might have lost my li fe; the fact that I am sti ll a live
today must mean that I have a missio n in life. Now,
having reached the 33rd anniversa ry of the passing o f
my master, I have decided to make the soul of Budo
known to the world . What is most impo rtant is the
sou l of your fellow ma n and a mutual feeling towa rd
one another. l think that if the seed of Japan's Budo is
planted anywhere in the world, it will continue to grow
a nd flourish .
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spread ing Budo arou nd the world. I was just amazed that the world's
view of Budo was completely different from my view. At that time I was
spurred by the vi ta lity of my youth, a nd a llowed the urge I had to ensure
Budo was understood by the rest of the world to drive me. I finally ended
this journey and decided not to travel anymore in 2004.
It has been forty-eight years since I met Takamatsu Sensei, during

which time I have persevered in the martial ways. There are forty-eight
specia l techniques of Sumo, a nd I have come to view the number '48' as
a martial artist. During my time as a martial artist, with regard to physical techniques, I have no recollection of doing one thing in the same way
twice. This represents the 'numerous changes' (ban ka), of the Gyohlw-ryu

Tenryalw no Maid. The universe is always changing, and this means that I
a m a lso participating in the training (keiko) of the universe. Everything
in the universe is attracted to everything else by unive rsal gravitation.
Time and space; past, present, and future a re intimately connected to
o ne a nother. I fee l as though I am now in a time wa rp. I a m walking the
narrow path of the world of Goza n literature and ha iku, such as recited
by the great haiku master Basho:
Summer grass
All that remains
Of the warrior's dreams
The top rank for the Budo Taijutsu of Bujinka n Dojo is 15th da n. There
are people who think this is the summit, but a ta ll mountain is beautiful because it stands in empty space (koku) . In the scrolls (densho) of
the Gyokko-ry u, the techniques are d ivided into three sectio ns: joryaku,
churyaku, and geryak u. In the scrolls the first method is ' l<ol<u,' a nd
is the start of the secret techniques. Now the Bujinka n dojo has spread
internationally and Budoka are growing in number. They are understanding the hea rt of the Budoka bound to the path of the 15th dan. Those
who hc1.ve attained 15th dan often say, "In Japan, there is a ceremony by
which a samura i becomes a ma n at the age of fifteen . I believe we have
also reached this coming of age." As for this book, I would like you to
read it as a wo rk that can assist you in gaining the knowledge necessary
to become a n attendee of that coming of age ceremony of the Budoka. It
is with this in mind that I have penned my thoughts on these pages.

170

C II APTF. R

Tbt Pra<tia of Budo

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Katchu Tachi lfiW:*JJ

172

CH APTER

3 lle Practiu if B~tdo

CHA PTER

Tbt

Prartire c?f Budo

175

Katchu Kenpo lfiWlUi*

Catch the opponent's tachi on the should er as they cut in from Daijodan. Take the first
cut with the sword on th e shoulder. Thrust in with the first cut. With the second, cut the
throat.

176

CHAPTER

3 Tbt Practiu of 811do

C H., PHR

3 n,,

Prat tiu
Aa

of BuJo

179

Jinchu no Hira no Kamae (the posture with the swo rd lowered to the waist level in the
battlefield) . Against a spear thrust, throw up the thm st and enter with the body. Lift up
the spear hand and, catching ko te with the tachi, enter in witll the bod y. The impo rtant
po int is to enter witl1 the tad1i and body as one.

Kumiuchi Tachi with a who le heart. Take the key point (kaname,

~.

and enter in to th e

key point with 'god eyes' (kaname, 1$Hil). The kaname defeat the o ppo nent.

Practicing the yama arashi (mountain storm) throw, lift your oppo nent o nto your
shoulders. Carrying the warrior is like "carrying one h undred ko ku (stones)." Crash down
the warrior, destroy the o pponents as though they are crushed by stones, or smashed by
an avalanche.

From Senjin Niten no Kamae. Two heaven strikes ( iten uchi). Cut the oppo nent' s
attacking hand with the first strike. Thrusting in with the spear, b ring down the opponent's tad1i and step o n the spear with your right foot. While taking the tachi, kick in and
cut in to the opponent's vital points.

It is easy to stab an opponent in armor using a spear. The spear's superiority in this

area meant there was a time it was o ne of the most common weapons used in combat
on the battlefield.

---v:=--...

Densho of Muhen-ryu
Sojutsu.

188

C I IAPT E R

3 Ur Prattiu of Hudo

Picture of kumiuchi. Yamanaka Shikanosuke, a

military commander in the late Muromachi period.

C HAPTER

3 Ih

Practiu oj RuJo

189

Tachi uchi

::t\)) ~'i

Receive the attack fro m Hasso no Kamae with th e right h and. Strike to the o ppo nent' s left
side to knock them d own. There arc many va riations after entering with the bod y. Take
the oppo nent's cut to the left side o f the head with the upper arm and shoulder. Lifti ng in
and up with the body, right thurst in with the tachi. Changing the tach i to the left h and,
stab in and cut d own o n the neck.

Multiple opponents. The tachi and thrust are one. I repel the o pponen ts' attacks solidly by changing the motio n. Six bl ad es: 3 d aggers, 3 tachi become all mine. Despite the
many o pponents, the fi rm and stable body posture, combined with nex.ibility, will bri ng
natural victory.

Picture of the warrior Yamanaka Shikanosuke.

I It PTER

n. Praaiu of BuJo

197

Tachi uchi

Yoroi taijutsu

'11le variation of Gyokute giri Shlnmyoken

1be sword power that cuts heaven, earth, and man.

211

By painter Chojin Ookubo (aged ninety-seven).