Asayama Ichiden-ryu
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese koryū
martial art founded in the late Muromachi period
by .
Samurai
being fond of changing their names. Asayama Ichiden Ryu
Taijutsu
is one of those schools. The founder went by many names and there are many different and conflicting stories about the founder and school. Several website discuss the same figure but with a different given names.
(striking) and gyakute (reversal) art, aside from Jujutsu
, the art also contains gyakute-jutsu, a rare reversal art utilizing a short wooden pole 37 cm or 25 cm in length. The art is learned first bare-handed, but its techniques may also be used with a steel fan. There are many different branches in different parts of Japan, each with their own characteristics.
The art was initially taught in the Aizu
domain, which is the same area that Daito Ryu originated hence a possible reason for some experts noting similarities in the various waza that are shared. Eventually the art was promoted throughout the region by the Tanaka House, who were elders on council to the Lord of that area. During the Meiji
Restoration (1868 to 1912), the head of the art was named Tamatso Tanaka
, the 12th generation head of the art. Its current popularity was due to Tanaka's appointment of Okura Hisajiro Naoyuki as Style head. Okura had a dojo in the Koiskikawa area of Tokyo
. He had two senior students, Adachi Yushio who continued the tradition and also Naganuma Tsuneyuki, who married his daughter. As a result, Naganuma was given the responsibility of heading the art. He subsequently appointed his second son, Yoshiyuki, as the head of the art, he left the position and turned it over to a senior student named Ueno Takashi, after his fathers (Tsuneyuki) death, Yoshiyuki returned and began teaching the art again. There are conflicting story as to who was appointed the successor to Ueno Takashi. One branch claims Sato Kinbei as his successor in 1954, while another claims Kaminaga Shigemi was appointed. Kinbei taught many people the art of Asayama Ichiden Ryu. Given the amount of divergence in the art, it is entirely possible that many of these claims have merit.
(first transmission), Chuden (middle level transmission), Okuden (hidden transmission), Kuden (oral transmission) amongst others. The original art’s three main areas known as the:
Ueno Takashi attempted to keep the transmission of the art as pure as possible and to this end began an e-maki (picture scroll) which showed the kata of the school. Within this lineage, however, the transmission of waza was limited to the Chi no Maki and some Hishigi Den (literally ‘crushing transmission’ or joint manipulation techniques) and kuden (oral transmission of "secrets") as these were the only areas transmitted forward by Naganuma Tsuneyuki.The Chi no Maki of traditional Asayama Ichiden Ryu is structured into several areas, versus the shoden, chuden, okuden etc. that are seen in many schools. The Chi no Maki has the following areas:
There are several traditions still alive. Some of the better known traditions from the Asayama Ichiden Ryu Taijutsu are Chi no Maki, Okura-den, Yokohama-den,Matsumoto ryu, Jinenkan under Fumio Manaka, Genbukan under Tsunehisa (aka: Shoto) Tanemura, Bujinkan under Yoshiaki (aka Masaaki) Hatsumi, and Nagano Ryu Sogo Bujutsu which teaches the Chi no Maki, Gedan no Kurai, Chudan no Kurai, Jodan no Kurai, & Jin no Maki. Nagano Ryu is headed by Jamie Ellerbe.
A student of Sato Kinbei, Duke Meade, lives in the USA and teaches Asayama Ichiden-ryu amongst the other traditions he received from Sato Kinbei sensei. Please refer to http://www.liveoakdojo.com/dojo.html for further info (in English).
Nakashima Atsumi, one of the menkyokaiden (license holder) of this school, is actively teaching Asayama Ichiden-ryu. Please refer to http://www.asd-ilponte.org/asayamaichidenryu.html for further info (in Italian).
, iaijutsu
, kamajutsu, bōjutsu
and unarmed arts (taijutsu
). Jujutsu
,Gyakute-jutsu.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese koryū
Koryu
is a Japanese word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as "old school" or "traditional school"...
martial art founded in the late Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
by .
Asayama Ichidensai Shigetatsu
There are often conflicting stories among Martial art schools that have many branches about who actually founded the school and how. In some cases this steams from JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
being fond of changing their names. Asayama Ichiden Ryu
Ryu
* Ryū , a school of thought or discipline ., a book by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa* Ryū , a series by Masao Yajima and Akira Oze* Ryu , a common Korean family name...
Taijutsu
Taijutsu
is a Japanese blanket term for any combat skill, technique or system of martial art using body movements that are described as an empty-hand combat skill or system. The term is commonly used when referring to a traditional Japanese martial art but has also been used in the naming of modern martial...
is one of those schools. The founder went by many names and there are many different and conflicting stories about the founder and school. Several website discuss the same figure but with a different given names.
History
Asayama Ichiden Ryu Taijutsu was founded by Asayama Mitsugoro Ichidensai in 1566. He was the third son of a military expert (gunshi) who was named Asayama Genban Minamoto no Yoshitada Ichiyosai. His father was in the employ of Akai Aku Uemon Kageto, who was the Lord of the Amada and Hikami Districts. The story goes that at the age of 12, Ichidensai had a dream with Fudo Myo Oh, which resulted in enlightenment for him and the subsequent founding of Asayama Ichiden Ryu. This is not the only story other traditions state that the Ichiden Ryu lineage begins with Marume Mondonoshô Norikichi,a student of his Kuniie Yauemon, instructed Asayama Ichidensai Shigetatsu. Ichidensai then spread his tradition across the country. Another tradition claims that he learned from a variety of teachers, including Kamiizumi Hidetsuna, Okuyama Saemondayu Tadanobu, Nakamura Senjurô, and the Yoshioka family in the capital there also may be a connection with Tamiya Ryu. Ichidensai died on the 5th day of the first month of the 4th year of Jôkyô (1687) at the age of 78. He had numerous students, and many schools spawned off of the main branch.The school
Asayama Ichiden-ryu was founded by Asayama Ichidensai Shigetatsu as solely an atemiAtemi
In Japanese martial arts, the term designates blows to the body, as opposed to twisting of joints, strangleholds, holding techniques and throws. Atemi can be delivered by any part of the body to any part of the opponents body. They can be percussive or use 'soft' power. Karate is a typical...
(striking) and gyakute (reversal) art, aside from Jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
, the art also contains gyakute-jutsu, a rare reversal art utilizing a short wooden pole 37 cm or 25 cm in length. The art is learned first bare-handed, but its techniques may also be used with a steel fan. There are many different branches in different parts of Japan, each with their own characteristics.
The art was initially taught in the Aizu
Aizu
is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...
domain, which is the same area that Daito Ryu originated hence a possible reason for some experts noting similarities in the various waza that are shared. Eventually the art was promoted throughout the region by the Tanaka House, who were elders on council to the Lord of that area. During the Meiji
Meiji
Meiji may refer to:* Meiji Restoration, the revolution that ushered in the Meiji period* Meiji period - the period in Japanese history when the Meiji Emperor reigned...
Restoration (1868 to 1912), the head of the art was named Tamatso Tanaka
Tanaka
is the fourth most common Japanese surname. The surname "Tanaka" refers to several different surnames written with different kanji: , , , , , , .-People:* Asuna Tanaka * Atsuko Tanaka voice actor* Atsuko Tanaka...
, the 12th generation head of the art. Its current popularity was due to Tanaka's appointment of Okura Hisajiro Naoyuki as Style head. Okura had a dojo in the Koiskikawa area of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He had two senior students, Adachi Yushio who continued the tradition and also Naganuma Tsuneyuki, who married his daughter. As a result, Naganuma was given the responsibility of heading the art. He subsequently appointed his second son, Yoshiyuki, as the head of the art, he left the position and turned it over to a senior student named Ueno Takashi, after his fathers (Tsuneyuki) death, Yoshiyuki returned and began teaching the art again. There are conflicting story as to who was appointed the successor to Ueno Takashi. One branch claims Sato Kinbei as his successor in 1954, while another claims Kaminaga Shigemi was appointed. Kinbei taught many people the art of Asayama Ichiden Ryu. Given the amount of divergence in the art, it is entirely possible that many of these claims have merit.
The structure of the School
Some of the schools teaching Asayama Ichiden Ryu are predominantly kenjutsu schools now. Many of those schools that teach the jujutsu/ taijutsu aspects of the art have codified the art into various levels including Shoden(first transmission), Chuden (middle level transmission), Okuden (hidden transmission), Kuden (oral transmission) amongst others. The original art’s three main areas known as the:
- Ten no Maki (Heaven Scroll) This scroll focused upon kenjutsu or the sword art
- Jin no Maki (Man / Person Scroll) This scroll focused upon the arts of the staff known as bojutsu
- Chi no Maki (Earth Scroll) This scroll focused upon empty hand defence techniques (jujutsu)
Ueno Takashi attempted to keep the transmission of the art as pure as possible and to this end began an e-maki (picture scroll) which showed the kata of the school. Within this lineage, however, the transmission of waza was limited to the Chi no Maki and some Hishigi Den (literally ‘crushing transmission’ or joint manipulation techniques) and kuden (oral transmission of "secrets") as these were the only areas transmitted forward by Naganuma Tsuneyuki.The Chi no Maki of traditional Asayama Ichiden Ryu is structured into several areas, versus the shoden, chuden, okuden etc. that are seen in many schools. The Chi no Maki has the following areas:
- Gedan no Kurai
- Chudan no Kurai
- Jodan no Kurai
- Okuden no Kurai
- Shio no Kurai
- Idori no Kurai
There are several traditions still alive. Some of the better known traditions from the Asayama Ichiden Ryu Taijutsu are Chi no Maki, Okura-den, Yokohama-den,Matsumoto ryu, Jinenkan under Fumio Manaka, Genbukan under Tsunehisa (aka: Shoto) Tanemura, Bujinkan under Yoshiaki (aka Masaaki) Hatsumi, and Nagano Ryu Sogo Bujutsu which teaches the Chi no Maki, Gedan no Kurai, Chudan no Kurai, Jodan no Kurai, & Jin no Maki. Nagano Ryu is headed by Jamie Ellerbe.
A student of Sato Kinbei, Duke Meade, lives in the USA and teaches Asayama Ichiden-ryu amongst the other traditions he received from Sato Kinbei sensei. Please refer to http://www.liveoakdojo.com/dojo.html for further info (in English).
Nakashima Atsumi, one of the menkyokaiden (license holder) of this school, is actively teaching Asayama Ichiden-ryu. Please refer to http://www.asd-ilponte.org/asayamaichidenryu.html for further info (in Italian).
Arts Taught
The system teaches several weapon arts including kenjutsuKenjutsu
, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration...
, iaijutsu
Iaijutsu
, the art of drawing the Japanese sword. One of Japanese martial disciplines in education of the classical warrior .-Etymology:"Iaijutsu" was known before the Tokugawa period but it is unclear exactly when the term "iaijutsu" first came into use, or when exactly drawing the katana from its...
, kamajutsu, bōjutsu
Bojutsu
, translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of using a staff weapon called bō which simply means "staff". Staffs are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by humankind. They have been in use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. Some techniques involve slashing,...
and unarmed arts (taijutsu
Taijutsu
is a Japanese blanket term for any combat skill, technique or system of martial art using body movements that are described as an empty-hand combat skill or system. The term is commonly used when referring to a traditional Japanese martial art but has also been used in the naming of modern martial...
). Jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
,Gyakute-jutsu.