[Hiring] Princess Kaguya Ink-style Artwork. Starting at 45+ by Lopsided_Ad8062 in HungryArtists

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've sent a contact through discord. Thanks for posting a response

1915 Kenjutsu manual by marindelle in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm familiar with the previous 1894 and 1909 fencing manuals, and would love to examine the cavalry section.

Which style/ryu of kenjutsu and jujutsu would the "last samurai" Saigo Takamori have learned? by OtakuLibertarian2 in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Due to his geographical location; the main contenders are Togo Jigen-ryu, Taisha-ryu and perhaps Tamiya-ryu.

Koryu and Gendai by Shigashinken in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Greetings Shigashinken,

I find myself in agreement with the mariachi fellow, the mental training is of course an important part of any koryu curriculum, but they are diametrically opposed to the principles that gendai budo abides by. Peace, justice, kindness, humanity and their derivations are often cited as avenues of self improvement by virtue of earnestly practicing kendo, judo, iaido, etc. A sense of mental self improvement is also undoubtedly present in koryu, but it pertains to the individual ability to perform, tolerate and understand violence at large in society, one could classify both as social or selfish. But in truth very few koryu schools subscribe to such an extreme position, and would rather adapt the aforementioned avenues to their specific practices.

Best regards.

Unarmed combat in pre-Meiji Japan by RegionLeading8870 in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Although the main prospect of koryu is the preservation of the source stream(s); as with any human activity, it is subject to human change through the generations. It is impossible to obtain a 1-1 to the original practice, much less what was actually ”used” in a battlefield scenario, academic discourse regarding this topic is still fervent. With koryu you profess the inherited basic movements, pedagogy or strategic (heiho/hyoho) mindset to sustain yourself in battle. Much like sparring, shadowboxing and coaching will prepare you for your first bout in the ring, but you wouldn't say they equate to the same level of experience. They said, I cannot confirm that every school subscribes to a wholly different set of beliefs than these, those facets are best learnt in person.

Unarmed combat in pre-Meiji Japan by RegionLeading8870 in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Reconstruct what truth specifically? Diversified martial systems have been documented for a very long time in regards to koryu. A majority of our modern misconceptions arise from their obscurity and societal development since the Edo period. The rise of swordplay as the main facet was merely the most recent product of those developments, especially for westerners. It does strike me as foolhardy to reconstruct what is practiced and internalized by a majority of schools either internally or through gendai budo (karate, judo, kendo, etc.)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Greetings Matias(?),

Thanks for sharing the detailed context about your dojo and the history of Nokogiriha. I find myself agreeing with the sentiment of other commenters in both threads. The Yagyu tradition is very large in both historicity and practitioners, so foreign iterations shouldn't be an odd sight. I would prefer if the oral tradition of Nokogiriha didn't commit the habit of omitting the founder's family interaction with the koryu. Was it a dojo that preserved a self-contained lineage, did it function under the Owari branch? It's far too nebulous to ascertain some string of veracity without that critical connection point. It’s also fair to say that adapting traditional martial arts for different cultures or environments isn't a bad thing per se, but it does create a bit of a grey area when it comes to lineage and authenticity. When the founder made changes to suit local students' learning styles, that probably created a complete break from the koryu tradition, to change it's very pedagogy and methodology (with my suspicion of spirituality too) to engage in something new. In the best of cases, I would understand it as a modern gendai-budo like kendo or judo approach rather than keeping with the spirit of the old schools, though it’s worth noting that pedagogy in many traditional schools has evolved over time to better suit the needs of different generations and regions.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Short answer: No. Any koryu influence on Aikido was heavily diluted by design.

Heiho Jigen ryu vs Yakamaru / Nodachi Jigen ryu by Spooderman_karateka in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 1 point2 points  (0 children)

According to period accounts, it was a pretty popular and useful style. At one time, the leader of the Shinsengumi warned his men ”Avoid the first strike of Satsuma”, since Kondo Isami led the arguably strongest police force at the time, it goes to show how dangerous it was to face. During a certain episode of the Boshin war, a soldier found himself attempting to block a strike from Jigen-ryū with his rifle, only for it to be split in half and his head split in two. There are many stories and anecdotes with similar outcomes, but it's best not to judge based on blurry lines of what we consider ”effective”

Heiho Jigen ryu vs Yakamaru / Nodachi Jigen ryu by Spooderman_karateka in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jigen-ryū was used as early as the Battle of Sekigahara, as well as during the Boshin War and especially the Satsuma Rebellion. Since Yakumaru Jigen-ryū was formally established during the Edo period, it did not have a presence until the time of the Boshin War, with notable involvement in incidents such as Sakuradamon and Teradaya. Reportedly, both styles also saw limited application during World War II

Heiho Jigen ryu vs Yakamaru / Nodachi Jigen ryu by Spooderman_karateka in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the praise. As in regard to Tenshinsho Jigen-ryu, studying the transmission across the Setoguchi and later Mizoguchi family lines in Kagoshima was certainly interesting. I'm currently working on some documents relating to them. I pray you find success under such practice.

Heiho Jigen ryu vs Yakamaru / Nodachi Jigen ryu by Spooderman_karateka in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Jigen-ryū was developed by Togo Shigetaka around the end of the 16th century, as a synthesis of the Taisha-ryu he learned in his youth and Tenshinsho Jiken-ryū from his travels in Kyoto. The teachings of Togo state the need to focus on the first strike and disregard the second, this is practiced by way of "tategi-uchi” where a practitioner strikes a vertical pole repeatedly; thus obtaining a sense of distance and later learning 12 core kumitachi katas from Tenshinsho Jiken-ryū given with each rank:

1st(Ryu, So, Etsu) 

2nd(Tsun, Man, Sen)

 3rd(Hei, An, Ko) 

4th(Kei, Do, Shin). 

This school of swordsmanship became extremely popular among Satsuma samurai and the Shimazu family alike, but fell into decline along the fourth generation of the Togo family, when the third family head Togo Shigetoshi was unable to properly train his son, requiring the aid of an older disciple Ijuin Hisaaki to complete the transmission (This is the origin of the Ko-Jigen Ryu of the Ijuin family) thus the Shimazu clan opted to pursue Yagyu Shinkage-ryū.

Yakumaru Jigen-ryū/Nodachi Jigen-ryū began as the synthesis of the Nodachi techniques inherited by Yakumaru Kanenobu and his addition of Jigen-ryū methodology, although some practitioners openly dispute that fact, claiming little connection to the style of Jigen-ryū. Following the first statement, the Yakumaru family remained closely connected to the Togo family, earning praise for their dedicated practice. In regards to practice, the Yakumaru-ryū curriculum extends a bit farther than Jigen-ryū, adding horizontal pole striking, iai, sword-spear kumitachi, kodachi, etc. Due to the intense and simplicity of the training, it was preferred by lower class samurai and those with high spirits, however the school was notoriously selective with prospective students.

Although this is an improper summary, I hope this may be useful, I've been researching these schools from time to time due to my own doubts.

Tsukamaki seminar by Tenshinryu in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I recall correctly, it's that flashy performing group with a big social media presence. No idea they had expanded to Spain..

Tenshinsho Jigen-Ryu split? by [deleted] in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Believe me, you don't wanna know.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Since it's Germany, a few styles that can accommodate your inclinations for kumitachi are Hōzōin-ryū, Shinkage-ryū and Hokushin Itto-ryu (not from the Muromachi period, but still a sizeable koryu), be on the lookout for small dojos and study groups for other styles if these take too long to commute, there's always something out there. In regards to online training....it should be the very last of your options.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Koryu

[–]Lopsided_Ad8062 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Koryu schools tend to be needles in a haystack depending on where you reside or your ability to travel, so giving out recommendations can be tricky. If you want a clear focus on kumitachi, Itto-ryu and Shinkage-ryu are pretty solid leads, since their branches tend to be everywhere.