The photo above is from the October 1921 issue of the magazine "Jikei" (literally "self-protection"). It shows all of the martial arts instructors at the Capital Police Headquarters in 1888. * Front row from right: Asami Katsumitsu, Kanatani Genryo, Hisatomi Tetsutaro, Shingai Tadaatsu (1842-1920), sonobe Hisagorō, Naka Danzo, Tani Torao, Tobari Takisaburō (1872-1942), Yamashita Yoshitsugu […]

I recently obtained the Seigō-ryū Kuden-sho makimono (制剛流 口伝書 巻物 - oral transmission document) Jūjutsu (柔術) scroll (see picture above) It is dated Kyōhō 12-nen (1727), was written by Murakami Yoshifuki (村上義浮) and transmitted to Katō Youemon (加藤与右衛門). The cursive style characters make it very difficult to read, but it’s subjects headings include: • Shoji […]

I vey interested to see similarities between some of the technique and strategies of medieval wrestling and those of Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu (良移心当流 柔術). I recently bought a copy of Medieval Wrestling - Modern Practice of a Fifteenth Century Art by Jessica Finley (2014) When one examines the medieval heavy armour seen in European museums […]

It is interesting that Shinohara describes the randori of Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu (良移心当流 柔術) as including body-striking and stomping techniques. In Ryōi Shintō-ryū 'randori' is written 乱捕 (random, chaos or war - capture) and in Jūdō it is written 乱取 (random, chaos or war - take or fetch). In essence 'war, or chaos capture' is […]

James Shortt Shihan began training in Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu with his father Peter Shortt Sensei (who had been a student of Takeda Tatsu Shihan - 武田 辰師範) on 14th November 1959. He later trained with Komito Kaizō Shihan (小見戸戒三師範) and received Menkyo Kaiden (免許皆伝 - full licence). In acknowledgement of those 60 years of training, […]

Following on from my previous post of 1st December 2019, regarding the research paper entitled: ‘The diffusion routes of Jiu-Jitsu to and in the U.S. since the turn of the last century to 1930s: Focus on the transfiguration and succession of Jiu-Jitsu by the two Americans’ By YABU Kotaro (2012) (Ritsumeikan University, Japan) Yabu states […]

From the book: 'Hayanawa Kappō Kenpō Kyōhan Zukai Zen' (早縄活法拳法教範圖解全) by Iguchi Matsunosuke (1898). This is the Kitō-ryū (起倒流) technique - ‘Ude Dome’ (腕止メ - to stop the arm). This technique is described as being a "Gen (元 - beginning, original) Kitō-ryū (起倒流) technique (形手 - Katate)". As the Kitō-ryū is finds it's origins in […]

I have read that Edward William Barton-Wright trained in Shinden Fudō-ryū Jūjutsu (神傳不動流柔術) and Kōdōkan Jūdō (講道館 柔道). However, I recently obtained a Japanese scroll called the: Kyushin ichi-ryū Jūjutsu Honshin no maki (扱心一流柔術本心之巻) see below. I got this because Kyushin-ryū is derived from Kitō-ryū Jūjutsu (起倒流), which in turn is derived from Ryōi Shintō-ryū […]

The current kanji spelling for Ryōi Shintō-ryū is 良移心当流. However, previously the now defunct character 'tō' 當 was used in older Japanese, but it has now been replaced 'tō' 当. As such, Ryōi Shintō-ryū would originally have been written as 良移心當流. Other variants over time have been; Shintō yawara 心當和 and Shintō Yawara 神当和 (used […]

Ryōi Shintō-ryū (良移心当流) is 398 years old this year. Perhaps we should make efforts organise an event to celebrate its 400 anniversary in 2022. Shinohara (2005) writes that: "Fukuno Shichirōuemon Masakatsu, according to many materials, he was born in Naniwa (Ōsaka) and was the servant of Ōmi Kyōgoku. From an early stage, he learned the […]

Here are some more pictures from Col. Risher W. Thornberry’s book ’A General Course in Jiu-Jitsu’ (1933). Risher studied Jigō Tenshin-ryū Jūjutsu (自剛天真流柔術 - an off-shot of Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu 良移心当流柔術) in Nagasaki, Japan, before returning to the USA.

The Japanese characters for Wa (和 harmony) and Jū (柔 softness / gentleness) are often seen as interchangeable, not least because they can both be pronounced as Yawara. However, there does seem to be a fundamental difference between them The Shinkage-ryū Tsuki no Shō (新陰流月之抄) written by Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi (柳生 十兵衛 三厳) in 1642, […]

‘The contribution of Jigō Tenshin-ryū’s Uchida Ryōhei to the formulation of the early kata of Kōdōkan Jūdō and how the origin of those techniques would have been Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu.’ Following on from my last post relating to the Jigō Tenshin-ryū and how it could be seen as a following on version of the Ryōi […]

Regarding the differences and divergence between Ryōi Shintō-ryū (良移心当流) and Jigō Tenshin-ryū (自剛天真流), it seems that this was actually quite minor. It should also be appreciated the last part of the Ryōi Shintō-ryū - Menkyo Kaiden (免許皆伝) level is called "Jigo Nami Tenshin" (自剛並天真 - self hardening together with heavens truth) and thus even the […]

In 2024, it will be 100 years since Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu (良移心当流 柔術) was first introduced in to the United Kingdom by Takeda Tatsu Sensei (武田 辰 先生). We will be gearing up to celebrate this centinuary with amongst other things a Ryōi Shintō-ryū Taikai (良移心当流 大会).

‘Jujutsu Hottan - Fukuno Shichirouemon no den’ (date & author unknown - supplied by Tsukuba University, Kenkyo-jo and partially translatied by Dr. John Breen) mentions the following with regard to Ryōi Shintō-ryū founder - Fukuno’s character and physical aptitude in relation to martial arts: “He was an intrepid character with his great strength he lifted […]

Further to my previous post, here are a few of the pages from ’Combat Jiu Jitsu’ by S. R Linck (1943). The pictures suggest a limited technical sophistication, but even given that, there some principles and techniques that are vaguely reminiscent from the perspective of Ryōi Shintō-ryū Jūjutsu (良移心当流 柔術). It is interesting that Linck, […]

Part of another interesting article. This one describes the implementation of contests elements into later Edo period Jūjutsu practice and how this may have changed the nature of those practices: 幕末における柔術試合の台頭とその実態：天神真楊流・磯道場『他流試合姓名控』を手がかり に Emergence of jujutsu match and its fact at the end of the Tokugawa period: Analysis of Tenjin Shinyo-ryu’s record ‘Taryu Shiai Seimei Hikae’ […]