Hontai Yoshin-ryu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts

Japanese martial arts

Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": , literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like science,...

founded c.1660, by Takagi Shigetoshi. Some sources give Takagi's middle name as Setsuemon, while others give it as Oriemon.

This school was active during the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

, especially dominant in the Himeji-han and Ako-han. The present headmaster (sōke
Soke
The word soke has several meanings:* Soke , an early Western jurisdictional concept.* Soke or eke is a Tongan stick dance, originating from Wallis and Futuna., a Japanese title meaning "head of the family," and is usually used to denote the headmaster of a school of Japanese martial arts.* Soke of...

) is Inoue Kyoichi Munenori who succeeded his father Inoue Tsuyoshi Munetoshi. The handover occurred on 16 January 2005.

Arts practiced

The system teaches unarmed grappling

Grappling

Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...

arts and various weapon arts including 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,...

, hanbōjutsu, 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...

, and kenjutsu
Kenjutsu
, 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...

.

Modern practice

Although there are a limited number of official Hontai Yōshin-ryū schools across the world, many westerners have benefited from study at the headquarters in Japan. Therefore, the school's influence on the development of modern jujutsu is significant. The Hontai Yōshin-ryū stays true to its values and traditions and does not advocate commercialization.

Lineage

The order of Hontai Yōshin-ryū succession is as follows

Takagi Shigetoshi (born c.1635, date of death unknown)
Takagi Umanosuke Shigesada
Takagi Gennoshin Hideshige
Okuni Kihei Shigenobu
Okuni Hachikuro Nobutoshi
Okuni Tarodaibu Tadanobu
Okuni Kihyoe Yoshisada
Okuni Yozaemon Yoshisada
Nakayama Jinnai Sadahide
Okuni Buuemon Sadanobu
Nakayama Kizaemon Sadataka
Okuni Kenji Hideshige
Yagi Ikugoro Hisayoshi
Ishiya Takeo Masatsugu
Ishiya Matsutaro Masaharu
Kakuno Happeita Masayoshi (died c.1939)
Minaki Saburo Masanori (born c.1906, date of death unknown)
Inoue Tsuyoshi Munetoshi (born c.1925)
Inoue Kyoichi Munenori (born c.1949)

Arts practiced

Modern practice

Lineage

External links

Further reading