Tatsumi-ryu
Encyclopedia
is a traditional school (koryū
) of Japanese martial arts
founded in the early 16th century by Tatsumi Sankyo.
, Japan
, on Shikoku
island. He is thought to have been active as a warrior (bushi) in the Eishō Era (1504–1520). Tatsumi trained in the martial arts from an early age. As a result, he was never defeated, either on the battlefield or in single combat
. As a young man, Tatsumi was dissatisfied with mere technical proficiency, or even victory in combat, and secluded himself in prayer to the mountain deity (kami
) Tsumayama Daimyojin. Through intense , Tatsumi gained enlightenment (satori
) in the sword arts going beyond superficial levels of purely physical achievement. He then formulated the Tatsumi-ryū as a result of his experiences in light of his new understanding.
, and training to use the sword in combat constitutes the largest part of the curriculum. The use of other weapons, such as the spear
(yari
), glaive
(naginata
), long staff (rokushaku-bō
), and short staff (hanbō
), is undertaken with the aim of enabling the swordsman to defeat such weapons. Indeed, the studies of naginata, rokushaku-bō, and hanbō are classified as part of the swordsmanship (kenjutsu
) curriculum and are not considered as separate areas of study. Therefore in the practice of pre-determined exercises with partners (kata
) these weapons always "lose" to the sword.
The school also contains a large curriculum for unarmed grappling arts (which Tatsumi-ryū refers to as yawara
, rather than jujutsu
).
The yawara syllabus includes training for combat both in and out of armour, and covers a wide range of techniques and situations. Also included in the yawara syllabus are the and the art of restraining a person with rope-tying techniques (hojōjutsu
). The curriculum includes also a number of weapons for which there are no kata, but which are referred to in Tatsumi-ryū's scrolls (makimono
). This includes the truncheon
(jutte), throwing blade (shuriken
), iron fan (tessen), and weighted chain (manriki-gusari). These scrolls also include a number of "case studies" of various situations, esoteric charms, , and , as well as an array of other teachings about different aspects of warrior culture and philosophy.
, Tatsumi-ryū was widely practiced among the samurai
of the Hotta clan's domain
, which is centered on present day Sakura, Chiba
. Today Hiroshi Kato (Kato Hiroshi, born 1944) is recognized as the 22nd grandmaster (sōke
) of Tatsumi-ryū. Outside Japan, Liam Keeley, of Melbourne
, Australia
, is the only individual who both holds advanced teaching licenses (mokuroku
) for Tatsumi-ryū as well as being an authorized teacher for Tatsumi-ryū. Pierre and Claire Simon (France
), Miquel Morancho (Andorra
/Spain
) and Jaime Gamundí (Spain
) are also authorized to teach the Tatsumi-ryū curriculum.
Online articles
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"...
) 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 in the early 16th century by Tatsumi Sankyo.
History
Tatsumi Sankyo was born in what is now Ehime PrefectureEhime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
, 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...
, on Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
island. He is thought to have been active as a warrior (bushi) in the Eishō Era (1504–1520). Tatsumi trained in the martial arts from an early age. As a result, he was never defeated, either on the battlefield or in single combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
. As a young man, Tatsumi was dissatisfied with mere technical proficiency, or even victory in combat, and secluded himself in prayer to the mountain deity (kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
) Tsumayama Daimyojin. Through intense , Tatsumi gained enlightenment (satori
Satori
is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment that literally means "understanding". In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satori refers to a flash of sudden awareness, or individual enlightenment, and is considered a "first step" or embarkation toward nirvana....
) in the sword arts going beyond superficial levels of purely physical achievement. He then formulated the Tatsumi-ryū as a result of his experiences in light of his new understanding.
Curriculum
Tatsumi-ryū is a , encompassing many of the classical martial and strategic skills of the . The central weapon of Tatsumi-ryū is the katanaKatana
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 training to use the sword in combat constitutes the largest part of the curriculum. The use of other weapons, such as the spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
(yari
Yari
is the term for one of the traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear...
), glaive
Glaive
A glaive is a European polearm weapon, consisting of a single-edged blade on the end of a pole. It is similar to the Japanese naginata and the Chinese Guan Dao....
(naginata
Naginata
The naginata is one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a pole weapon. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class in feudal Japan, and naginata were also used by ashigaru and sōhei .-Description:A naginata consists of a wooden shaft with a curved...
), long staff (rokushaku-bō
Bo
-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
), and short staff (hanbō
Hanbo
The hanbō is a staff used in martial arts. Traditionally, the hanbō was approximately three shaku or about long, half the length of the usual staff, the rokushakubō . Diameter was...
), is undertaken with the aim of enabling the swordsman to defeat such weapons. Indeed, the studies of naginata, rokushaku-bō, and hanbō are classified as part of the swordsmanship (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...
) curriculum and are not considered as separate areas of study. Therefore in the practice of pre-determined exercises with partners (kata
Kata
is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....
) these weapons always "lose" to the sword.
The school also contains a large curriculum for unarmed grappling arts (which Tatsumi-ryū refers to as yawara
Yawara
The yawara is a Japanese weapon used in various martial arts. It is also the specific weapon of Yawara-Jitsu....
, rather than 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 yawara syllabus includes training for combat both in and out of armour, and covers a wide range of techniques and situations. Also included in the yawara syllabus are the and the art of restraining a person with rope-tying techniques (hojōjutsu
Hojojutsu
Hojōjutsu or Nawajutsu, is the traditional Japanese martial art of restraining a person using cord or rope.Encompassing many different materials, techniques and methods from many different schools, Hojojutsu is a quintessentially Japanese art that is a unique product of Japanese history and...
). The curriculum includes also a number of weapons for which there are no kata, but which are referred to in Tatsumi-ryū's scrolls (makimono
Makimono
A Makimono is a Japanese hand scroll, an ink-and-brush painting or calligraphy which is supposed to be held in the hand and unrolls horizontally....
). This includes the truncheon
Truncheon
Truncheon may refer to:*Baton *Cutting , means of plant propagation used by gardeners*HMS Truncheon , a British submarine commissioned during Word War II and later sold to Israel...
(jutte), throwing blade (shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
), iron fan (tessen), and weighted chain (manriki-gusari). These scrolls also include a number of "case studies" of various situations, esoteric charms, , and , as well as an array of other teachings about different aspects of warrior culture and philosophy.
Authorized teachers
During the Edo PeriodEdo 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....
, Tatsumi-ryū was widely practiced among the 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...
of the Hotta clan's domain
Sakura Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Shimōsa Province , Japan. It was centered on Sakura Castle in what is now part of the city of Sakura...
, which is centered on present day Sakura, Chiba
Sakura, Chiba
is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 172,176 and a population density of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².-Geography:...
. Today Hiroshi Kato (Kato Hiroshi, born 1944) is recognized as the 22nd grandmaster (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...
) of Tatsumi-ryū. Outside Japan, Liam Keeley, of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is the only individual who both holds advanced teaching licenses (mokuroku
Mokuroku
Mokuroku is a term in Japanese martial arts, used by koryu, for a "catalog", referring to a catalog of the level of ability of the instructor of the martial arts that has received a catalog as a sign of level or initiation....
) for Tatsumi-ryū as well as being an authorized teacher for Tatsumi-ryū. Pierre and Claire Simon (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), Miquel Morancho (Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
/Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) and Jaime Gamundí (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) are also authorized to teach the Tatsumi-ryū curriculum.
External links
Tatsumi-ryu websites- Tatsumi-ryu Japanese Homepage
- Liam Keeley Sensei - Tatsumi-ryu in Australia at the Melbourne Koryu Kenkyukai
- Pierre & Claire Simon - Oshinkan Translating in progress
Online articles