KUKISHINDEN RYU HAPPO BIKENJUTSU
"Tradition of the Nine Demon Gods"
The history of the Kukishinden Ryu just like the Kukishin Ryu goes back to the early 1300's. The Chosui Ryu Dakentaijutsu (Kijin Chosui Ryu Kukishinden Dakentaijutsu) is its very origin. The Chosui Ryu was first formulated by Otomo Furumaro who studied under Ganjin who arrived in Japan from China around 749 - 759. From Otomo's grandson Nimoro Yoshihide. Nawa Shinzaburo Motonaga revived the ancient teachings of this ryu that were almost lost, and as such became the first Soke of the Chosui Ryu. 3rd Soke of the Chosui Ryu Ohkuni Kihei Kiyosumi (a son of either Ohkuni Onifujita or Ohkuni Onigenta guards of Go-Daigo) renamed it Kishin (kijin) Chosui Ryu. Kiyosumi worked with Nawa Hoki no Kami Kencho, Shuri no Suke Kiyoshi and Kojiro Nagato no Kami. These men were vassals of the Kikuchi clan. Ohkuni Kiyosumi was given the title Eichizen no Kami. 11th Soke of Kishin Chosui Ryu Urabe Kanesada also studied a form of Chinese Kenpo from a Chinese warrior who fled China's Tang dynasty, escaping to Japan. Urabe taught this Kenpo to Sonjin shi Yoshihide who in turn added this to the Chosui Ryu and it became known as Dakentaijutsu. In 1349, Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru, named after his home town of Izumo, is credited as founder of both the Kukishinden Ryu, and Shinden Fudo Ryu). In 1349, studied the Chosui Ryu, and called it the Kyokushin Ryu Dakentaijutsu.
According to the Kukishinden Ryu history, the large halberd known as Bisento was brought to Japan, from China, by a warrior called Tetsujo. What occurs now is a conflict in historical dates. Soke lists date Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru as being alive in 1339. The legend of the Bisento states - Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru was defeated by Fujiwara no Tadamichi, chief adviser to the emperors Toba and Go-Shirakawa (1108 - 1156). Having lost in battle he escaped to a cave in Izumo (where he gets his name from). Here he met a Chinese Tang master Tetsujoso (Tie Zhang Seng). He was taught the use of the Bisento by Tetsujoso in the Totori province.
The Bisento (eyebrow blade) is extremely heavy and therefore calls for smooth supple movement of the body, use skilful movement (Sabaki) of the body. This 'Bisento', is similar in shape to the naginata. The difference between the two of them is that the first/one of them it is much heavier, and a lot larger than the second, with the blade reaching up to 3ft (1m) in length.Due of its length and weight, it made it easier to knock down an opponent and pierce through any armor that the opponent was wearing , it is also used to take horses down in the battlefield. Due to its size, normal Taijutsu is not enough to wield the Bisento. Body turns, and more footwork are needed to aid the use of this weapon. It is used to ram, and bludgeon rather than cut and slash like the naginata.
There are only nine kata for the Bisento, and they appear to be more of training forms than fighting forms which the naginata kata resemble. It is possible that the Bisento kata are used almost in the same way a runner puts weights on his ankles when he trains. The weights are removed and the lightness makes him run that little bit faster. May be the Bisento is the extra weight, so the naginata is so much lighter in the hands when used, and will flow with exceptional speed when used.
The hanbo was introduced as the result of two different events. The first took place in Kyoto, during January 1338 (Engen 3), when Ohkuni Taro Takehide, a vassal of emperor Go-Daigo and Yuki Takamitsu fought against Yashiro Kennomori Ujisato of Batsugun, a Samurai vassal in the army of Ashikaga Takauji. Ujisato carried a Sanshaku Hasun tachi (1.05m). He is supposed to have had the power to knock down a tree. Ohkuni carried a yari which when he struck at Ujisato with it Ujisato cut it in half, losing the bladed end of the yari. Ohkuni used the section of the yari he still held and a technique called 'Rai'un' (thunder cloud), jumped at Ujisato, the lacquered shaft reflected the sun into Ujisato's eye's blinding him, as such giving Ohkuni the advantage and he beat him with it. Ohkuni then drew his tanto and cut Ujisato's throat, killing him.
The second story took place May 4, 1575, when a Samurai in the service of Maeda Toshiie, fighting for Oda Nobunaga, a Kuriyama Ukongen Nagafusa (9th Soke of Kukishinden Ryu Happo Biken, 9th Soke Kukishinden Tenshin Hyoho, and 10th Tenshin Soden Kukamishin Ryu ), fought against Suzuki Tango no Kami Katsuhisa of the Kurama Ryu, a vassal of Takeda. Suzuki used a type of tachi known as a Sanshaku Gosun tachi (3 shaku 5 sun, approximately 3ft 5in - 96.2cm in length), Kuriyama and Suzuki were both on horseback. Kuriyama used a red Oak octagonal rokushaku bo. Suzuki cut the bo in half at the center, but as he raised his tachi to Daijodan no Kamae, Kuriyama hit at Suzuki's hands. This caused Suzuki to drop his tachi. A retainer of Suzuki's who was near by (a common practice at that time was for senior ranks to be followed into battle by a number of personal retainers who may not have been of Samurai rank, but who carried his extra weapons and came to his aid if required) passed him a yari which he used to strike at Kuriyama. Kuriyama moved to the side, and he struck Suzuki on the head with the halved bo (hanbo) which made him fall from his horse bleeding from his head.
The 11th Soke Ohkuni Yukihisa of the Kukishinden Ryu is accredited with being the originator of Kukishinden Ryu Jojutsu. He achieved this by using his skills in Kukishin Ryu bojutsu, hanbojutsu, and kenpo.
From the rokushakubojutsu the jo and hanbo were created. From the hanbo, kenjutsu and juttejutsu were created. Sojutsu and naginatajutsu were also created from the rokushaku bo. Traditionally the jo is not an offensive weapon. The kata are a combination of bo and kenjutsu kata.
Already mentioned in the Kukishin Ryu history, in the 17th century the 13th Soke of the Kukishinden Ryu, Ohkuni Kihei Shigenobu from Izumo, holder of the menkyo kaiden in the Kukishin Ryu and also the Chosui Ryu Dakentaijutsu Soke (a.k.a. Kishin Chosui Ryu Kukishinden Dakentaijutsu). He taught the Kukishin Ryu to the Takagi Yoshin Ryu. In return the Takagi Yoshin Ryu exchanged with the Ohkuni some of its bojutsu, naginata, and shuriken techniques. Ohkuni was to become the 4th Soke of the Takagi Yoshin Ryu after the death of his friend Takagi Gennoshin, the 3rd Soke of Takagi Yoshin Ryu. For a short period these schools were taught by Ohkuni, but before his death Ohkuni split the schools. The Kukishin Ryu he called Hon Tai Kukishin Ryu bojutsu and later became Kukishinden Ryu (with Chosui Ryu Dakentaijutsu, a.k.a. Kishin Chosui Ryu Kukishinden Dakentaijutsu, a branch of the Kishin Chosui Ryu, for it’s Taijutsu), and the Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Chosui Ryu went in another direction (the Takagi Yoshin Ryu had also the Kukishin Ryu bojutsu passed with it).
In the Bujinkan Dojo there is a form of fighting that is rarely spoken about. One reason being is that very few of the instructors have any knowledge let alone any skill in it. This fighting form is the Shinken Gata, which comes from the Tora no maki.
The story goes that Shinken Gata was created by a Samurai who was looking for the ultimate fighting art. He found it in more than one art.
As we know Ohkuni Shigenobu was highly skilled with the naginata of the Kukishin Ryu and through his Kukishin Ryu connection he came into contact with the 3rd Soke of Takagi Yoshin, Takagi Hideshige. Takagi was helping the Soke of the Kukishin Ryu restructure the Taijutsu of the Kukishin Ryu. The jujutsu of Takagi Yoshin Ryu was regarded of high quality, and as such the two Soke exchanged ideas.
Through this cooperation of the two ryu-ha Ohkuni was to become the next Soke of the Takagi Yoshin Ryu upon the death of Takagi.
The Shinken Gata has 5 kamae, 3 kihon and 5 levels of training, Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yondan, and Godan. The Kukishinden Ryu dakentaijutsu is based strongly dakentaijutsu of Chosui Ryu. It is possible that these two dakentaijutsu are the same as Ohkuni was the Chosui Ryu Soke, and the founder of the Hon Tai Kukishin Ryu bojutsu (which then changes its name to Kukishinden Ryu). As such this new ryu that he founded has its dakentaijutsu based on Chosui Ryu and its weapon arts on the Kukishin Ryu. The five levels (Shodan to Godan) are made up of all the kata from the Kukishinden Ryu dakentaijutsu and several other kata in each level from the Shinden Tatara Ryu.
This Shinden Tatara Ryu is based on the Takagi Yoshin Ryu (with possibly some other connections to the Amatsu Tatara).
It is said that as Ohkuni was looking for the perfect fighting art he may have had difficulty in deciding between the Kukishinden Ryu and the Takagi Yoshin Ryu, and therefore created this Shinken Gata. The Kukishinden Ryu dakentaijutsu is a form of Yoroi Kumi Uchi a grappling in armor, and the Takagi Yoshin Ryu a form of jujutsu that is used indoors. All that was needed to compliment these two arts was a hard form of street fighting. With the dakentaijutsu being a form of grappling this would work perfectly in the street as many fights frequently turn to a form of rough and tumble form of grappling, the Shinken Gata could provide this.
Where to place the Shinken Gata in his schools. This may be relatively simple (may be). The Chosui Ryu and Kukishinden Ryu share the same dakentaijutsu. Therefore place it in the Takagi Yoshin Ryu. This then has the jujutsu and the Shinken Gata, and for those skilled enough the Yoroi Kumi Uchi is hidden in the Shinken Gata waiting to be used as and when needed.
There are many different branches of the Kukishin Ryu, and the Kukishinden Ryu. Some are as follows:
· Kukishin Ryu Bujutsu
· Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu
· Kukishinden Hyoho
· Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu
· Hon Tai Kukishin Ryu
· Hon Tai Kukishin Chosui Ryu
· Hon Tai Kishin Chosui Ryu
· Tatara Shinden Ryu
· Shinden Tatara Ryu
· Nakatomi Hyoho
· Tenshin Hyoho Kukishin Ryu
The Kukishinden Hyoho is headed by Takatsuka, both the Kukishinden Hyoho and Kukishinden Happo Biken (Bujinkan) have two previous Soke who seem to appear in each others lineage, these being Kuriyama Ukon and Arima Kochinosuke. In their respective schools they are listed as the following:
Kukishinden Ryu Happo Biken
· 9th Soke Kuriyama Ukongen Nagafusa
· 10th Soke Arima Kochinosuke Masayoshi
Kukishinden Hyoho
· 8th Soke Arima Kawachinosuke Masayoshi
· 9th Soke Kuriyama Ukon Chobo
Two things that are apparent is the slight difference in names. This is not unusual with Japanese names. One reason being the fact that there are sometimes differences in translation. One character may have several different pronunciations, such as in Masa in Masaaki also is Yoshi in Yoshiaki (both of which names Hatsumi has used). Takamatsu also changed his childhood name, 'Hisatsugu' to Toshitsugu. The “hisa” and “toshi” are the same kanji. Another being the person chose to change their name sometime during their life, but one is recorded in each school, mainly the one in use at their time with the school.
The other thing that is noticeable is that these two persons are the other way around in each school. The fact that they have different places in the lineage means nothing, but it may signify that they were a part of both lineages’ more than we will unfortunately never discover. They may have passed the lineage to each other prior to battle to ensure that both schools survived in the event of the death of one of them. Therefore one will follow the other in each other’s respective school.
In Himeji, there are currently two living masters of Kukishin Ryu, they are Tanaka Fumon, of the Minaki Den Kukishin Ryu bojutsu, and Takatsuka Sensei, of the Kukishinden Hyoho.
Tanaka Fumon claims that his ryu-ha is from Iwami Nangaku. But Takatsuka does not recognize this, or Tanaka as a Soke of any Kukishin Ryu, and says that Tanaka may not be totally genuine. It is possible that Tanaka may not be totally genuine, as he received his Soke title from the previous Soke who was Soke for one day.
We have Takamatsu as the 27th Soke of the Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu, it has also been said that Takamatsu fell out with his friend Iwami Nangaku who was also a Kukishinden Soke. This Kukishinden of Iwami’s is not to be mixed up with the Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu belonging to Takamatsu (and now Hatsumi). This Kukishinden Tenshin Hyoho was transmitted from Ishitani Matsutaro to Iwami Nangaku. This was most probably done at the same time as Takamatsu received his menkyo from Ishitani. As I have just mentioned it is believed that Takamatsu and Iwami Nangaku had some professional differences. These differences are now thought to be that Ishitani gave Takamatsu the 27th Sokeship for the Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu to Takamatsu, and nothing to Iwami. Iwami received the 16th Sokeship of Kukishinden Hyoho and the 17th Sokeship of Tenshin Soden Kukamishin Ryu.
The Kukishinden Ryu is known as Happo Bikenjutsu, The Bikenjutsu is the heading for a group that is made up of kenjutsu, kodachi, and jutte. The juttejutsu is the most important part of the Bikenjutsu. The jutte also has the tessenjutsu. It is important that the Taijutsu is mastered before the jutte can be used effectively.
The Kukishin appears to have been the favorite of all of the schools that Takamatsu studied. As such he seems also to have passed menkyo the most out in this ryu-ha. One that has not yet been mentioned is Tenshin Hyoho Kukamishin Ryu, which again is another branch of Kukishin Ryu. This ryu-ha is also pronounced “Tenshin Hyoho Kukishin Ryu”. This ryu-ha was passed to one of his first students, Kimura Masaji) Seiji who started his tuition under Takamatsu when he was 17 years old.
Also in the Kukishinden Ryu is Taoko No Jutsu. This is the ability to overcome an opponent from a distance.
The Daisharin is in fact a wheel, and axle used for the launching of ships or boats into the sea. It is constructed from a long pole, approximately approx. 10 foot (3.4 meter) in length, with the wheels 2 foot in diameter and 3 inch (7.5cm) thick circular pieces of wood, This is used in the same category as the rokushaku bo. It was in everyday life the axle mount for the base of a ship prior to launch, or when it was retrieved from the water’s edge, so that it could be brought to dry land. The whole assembly can be rolled along the ground knock people over, or one end can be rolled, while the other end is held. As the Kukishin Ryu was from the coastal area of Kumano, and members were involved in activities relating to the sea, it was a weapon that was permanently at hand, for the skilled warrior.
The hanbojutsu in the Kukishinden Ryu is also found in the Shinden Amatsu Tatara Ryu hanbojutsu another part of the Kukishin Ryu, which is also based on the Amatsu Tatara Kangi Den. This hanbo uses 3 kamae, Kata Yaburi no Kamae, Munen Muso no Kamae, and Otonashi no Kamae. These go by the collective name Sanshi Den, Sanshin no Kamae, and Sanso no Kata. In the Kukishinden Ryu, Takamatsu Toshitsugu called these three kamae “Sanshin no Kamae”.
“The self-confidence of the warrior is not the self-confidence of the average man. The average man seeks certainty in the eyes of the onlooker and calls that self-confidence. The warrior seeks impeccability in his own eyes and calls that humbleness. The average man is hooked to his fellow men, while the warrior is hooked only to infinity.”