Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Traditional 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"... Japanese martial art
Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū
Founder(s)
Miyamoto Musashi Miyamoto Musashi , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age... (宮本武蔵	1584–1645
Date founded
Early 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....	Founded between 1604–1640
Current headmaster
There are three successors: Iwami Toshio Genshin: 11th generation Chin Kin (Taiwan): 11th generation *Yoshimoti Kiyoshi: 12th generation (after Kiyonaga Fumiya)

Arts taught
Japanese name	Description	Niten Ichi-ryu designation
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... 剣術—odachi Odachi An , was a type of long Japanese sword. The term nodachi, or "field sword", which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of ōdachi. It is historically known as ōtachi.... , kodachi Kodachi A , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...	Sword art—Long and short sword	Tachi/Kodachi Seiho
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... —odachi, kodachi	Sword art—Long and short sword used together	Nito Seiho
Aikuchi		Aikuchi roppo
Juttejutsu Juttejutsu is the Japanese martial art of using the Japanese weapon jutte . Juttejutsu was evolved mainly for the law enforcement officers of the Edo period to enable non-lethal disarmament and apprehension of criminals who were usually carrying a sword... —Jutte	Truncheon art	Jitte to jutsu
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,... 棒術—Bō Bo -People:Bo , name origin, plus people with the nameBo , name origin, plus people with the surname*Bo , Chinese family namesBo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...	Staff art	Bo jutsu

, which can be loosely translated as "the school of the strategy of two heavens as one", is a 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"...

(ancient school), transmitting a style of classical Japan

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 swordsmanship

Swordsmanship

Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...

conceived by the warrior Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi

, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...

. Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū is mainly known for the two-sword—katana

Katana

A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...

and wakizashi

Wakizashi

The is one of the traditional Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...

—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...

techniques Musashi called Niten Ichi (二天一, "two heavens as one") or Nitō Ichi (二刀一, "two swords as one").

Origin

Around 1640, Musashi intended to pass on his art to three successors from among his thousand students; specifically, to Terao Magonojo

Terao Magonojo

was a famed swordsman during the Edo period of Japan. Magonojo was the elder brother of Terao Motomenosuke, the successor to the School of Musashi. Magonojo had been noted as Miyamoto Musashi's favorite student, to whom Musashi entrusted his Gorin no sho before his death...

, his younger brother Kyumanosuke and to Furuhashi Sozaemon

Furuhashi Sozaemon

was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period. Famed for his skill in swordsmanship. Sōzaemon, along with both Terao Magonojo, and his younger brother Terao Motomenosuke would be the legendary Miyamoto Musashi's three chosen successors...

. He considered Magonojo to excel in technique but to lack in reflection, while Furuhashi excelled at reflection but lacked technique. Magonojo received the treatise, the Go Rin no Sho
The Book of Five Rings
is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its...

, on the condition that he read it and then burn it. But Furuhashi borrowed it for a few days and on the orders of Hosokawa Mitsuhisa made two copies- one for Hosokawa and one for himself, which he transmitted under the name of Ihon go rin no sho. The best known edition today is the Hosokawa copy.

Magonojo then yielded the role of successor to his younger brother Kyumanosuke who had received the Hyoho San-jugo from Musashi. It was Kyumanosuke who transmitted this document to his students with seven added instructions called the Hyoho shiji ni kajo.

Shortly before his death, Musashi also wrote the Dokkodo
Dokkodo
The Dokkodo was a work written by Miyamoto Musashi a week before he died in 1645. It is a short work, consisting of either nineteen or twenty-one precepts; precepts 4 and 20 are omitted from the former version...

("Going My Way"). It seems to be a list of rules that one should try to follow in life; in essence each rule has very deep meaning steeped in Buddhist precepts.

Succession

Terao Kyumanosuke (Motomenosuke) had received the complete transmission of the School of Musashi, with certification and Musashi's two swords. He at first refused to teach and sent what he had received to Musashi's adopted son, Iori. Iori refused the succession, since the honor had not been bestowed upon him. With this, Kyumanosuke then agreed to take over as head—both his and Iori's actions were manifestations of their respect for Musashi.

Succession in the Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryū (the name given by Musashi towards the end of his life) does not follow a hereditary pattern. It is attested to by the bestowing of two artifacts: a scroll on which is written the name of the techniques and the approach to them that must be transmitted if the school is to be perpetuated truly, and a wooden sword that Musashi made himself, with which he trained and used as a walking stick during the last years of his life, today in possession of the Usa city Shinto Shrine.

Dispute

The Gosho-ha Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū

Gosho-ha Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu

The was one of the branches of the Niten Ichi-ryū, the Kenjutsu school created by Miyamoto Musashi, under the supervision of Gosho Motoharu, Shihan of the 9th generation...

disputes the lineage and that Iwami Toshio Gensho is the sole legal representative of Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.

Lineage

The lineage to date is as follows:

Shinmen Miyamoto Musashi-No-Kami Fujiwara no Genshin
Terao Kyumanosuke Nobuyuki (Second name can be read as Motomenosuke)
Terao Goemon Katsuyuki
Yoshida Josetsu Masahiro
Santo Hikozaemon Kyohide
Santo Hanbe Kiyoaki
Santo Shinjuro Kiyotake
Aoki Kikuo Hisakatsu
Kiyonaga Tadanao Masami
Imai Masayuki Nobukatsu
Iwami Toshio Gensho/ Kiyonaga Fumiya / Chin Kin (Taiwan)
Yoshimoti Kiyoshi (successor of Kiyonaga Fumiya)

Techniques

Today the following sets of techniques (waza or kata) are transmitted:

Tachi Seiho—Twelve techniques with long sword.
Nito Seiho—Five techniques with two swords corresponding to the five forms in the Water Scroll.
Kodachi
Kodachi
A , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...

Seiho—Seven techniques with a short sword.
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,...

—Twenty techniques with a staff.
Aikuchi roppo
Jitte
Jitte (weapon)
The , literally meaning "ten-hand" , is a specialized weapon.In Edo period Japan the jutte was a substitute for a badge and represented someone on official business and was carried by all levels of police officers including high ranking samurai police officials and low-rank samurai law enforcement...

to jutsu—Five techniques against a sword.

According to Gosho Motoharu Hanshi, the Aikuchi roppo was constituted by free nito forms using fukuro shinai, not formalized kata. However this waza was not taught by Musashi and is a later addition.

The Jitte techniques, also according to Gosho Hanshi, are modern addition, and were not practiced in the time of the eighth headmaster, Aoki Kikuo. The techniques taught had a direct relation and followed the order of the grades in the ryu:

Shoden: Itto Seiho

Chuden: Kodachi Seiho

Okuden: Nito Seiho

Menkyo: Bojutsu

Menkyo Kaiden: All the curriculum of the ryu plus have a deep knowledge of the founder teachings.

External links

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