is a

Japanese martial art Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usage ...

founded in 1600 ''CE''. It is a school based on the use of the

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

; however it has several different (old weapons) in its curriculum. It is also notable for its hidden weapons () or items that appear to hide among everyday things.

History

According to legend, Hōten-ryū was created by a Takizawa Minokami Hōten in the Kii mountain range (Nanzen) of Japan at the end of the

Sengoku The was the period in Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as the period's start ...

era. Takizawa was a bushi of the Tachibana family and allegedly a friend of Sesshusai Yagyū of

Yagyū Shinkage-ryū is one of the oldest Japanese schools of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu''). Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who called the school Shinkage-ryū. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyū Munetoshi, who ...

fame. Takizawa had learned the martial arts taught in his han (prefecture) and then went to

Mount Kiso Ontake , also referred to as , is the 14th-highest mountain and second-highest volcano in Japan (after Mount Fuji) at . It is included in Kyūya Fukada's 1964 book ''100 Famous Japanese Mountains''. Description Mt. Ontake is located around northeast ...

to better study himself. He made a pilgrimage to Ontake Shrine and Ontake waterfall in an attempt to purify his spirit and body. At Ontake it is believed that Takizawa decided to become a mountain priest. He then created the techniques for Hōten-ryū based on

Shintō , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes ...

teachings and

Shugendō is a syncretic Esoteric Buddhist religion, a body of ascetic practices that originated in the Nara Period of Japan having evolved during the 7th century from an amalgamation of beliefs, philosophies, doctrines and ritual systems drawn prim ...

practices, conforming his methods to the "laws of nature" to which the mountain ascetics adhered.Nobuyuki, Hiragami. 2003. ''Budo and Bujutsu Magazine''. Issue # 4, April. Gekan Hiden, Tokyo. The school was taught privately in a shrine near the Kiso-Ontake until the 13th inheritor Totsugawa Hōten made his way to

Kyōto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most pop ...

and found a student in a very young Kazuo Taniguchi. Totsugawa, the 13th

Sōke , pronounced , is a Japanese term that means "the head family ouse" In the realm of Japanese traditional arts, it is used synonymously with the term '' iemoto''. Thus, it is often used to indicate "headmaster" (or sometimes translated as "head o ...

, became frail with age and Kazuo succeeded him as the 14th Sōke when he was 19 years old, just before being conscripted into the Japanese military during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. As the Sōke of Hōten-ryū, Kazuo took on the name ''Tachibana Kujuuin Hoten'' and resided in Kyōto, Japan where he had been teaching Hōten-ryū and

Shodō , also called , is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. Japanese writing system, Written Japanese was originally based on Man'yōgana, Chinese characters only, but the advent of the hiragana and katakana Japane ...

since the end of World War II until his death in May 2013.Nobuyuki, Hirgagami. 2003. Budo and BujutsuMagazine. Issue # 5, May. Gekan Hiden, Tokyo.

Curriculum and weaponry

Hōten-ryū first focuses on training with the sword, but there are many (old weapons) and (hidden weapons). There are several primary categories which introduce multiple sub-categories and in effect creates a large curriculum. However, the techniques for each "sub-category" weapon are simple and interchangeable because the (strategy) of the is transmitted with each primary weapon. A short list of the armament techniques include: Jo (short staff),

Ken Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer * ''Ken'' (film), a 1965 Japanese film * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine * Ken Masters, a main character in th ...

(sword),

Kusari is an eroge visual novel by Leaf (company), Leaf. It is a suspense adventure game dealing with psychological warfare as players are pitted against a cunning and powerful criminal while trapped in the open sea on a cruise ship. Although this ga ...

(chain- flexible weapons), Kusarifundo (weighted chain-flexible weapons),

Jutte A is a blunt melee weapon that was used by police in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). In English-language sources, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled jutte, such as in Ikkaku-ryū juttejutsu. History In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable ...

(truncheon), Tessen (iron fan),

Sasumata The is a polearm used by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Description and use Although some sources place the origin of the sasumata in the Muromachi period, most sources discuss its use in the Edo period. In Edo period J ...

(two-horned polearm), Nagehari (thrown weapons),

Sōjutsu , meaning "art of the spear", is the Japanese martial art of fighting with a . Origins Although the spear had a profound role in early Japanese mythology, where the islands of Japan themselves were said to be created by salt water dripping fr ...

(spear),

Kusarigama A is a traditional Japanese weapon that consists of a '' kama'' (the Japanese equivalent of a sickle or billhook) on a kusari-fundo – a type of metal chain (''kusari'') with a heavy iron weight (''fundo'') at the end. The ''kusarigama'' is s ...

(sickle and chain), ''Tekken'' ("iron fist" similar to Western

brass-knuckles Brass knuckles (also referred to as brass knucks, knuckledusters, iron fist and paperweight, among other names) are a melee weapon used primarily in hand-to-hand combat. They are fitted and designed to be worn around the knuckles of the human h ...

) and

Taijutsu is a Japanese martial art 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. Taijutsu is a synonym for jujutsu (method of close combat either u ...

(unarmed defense), among others. A notable category is the ''sanki'' or "three tools" (also called ''sandogu'') which are generally affiliated with the early Japanese police.Staff. 1991. ''Budo and Bujutsu Magazine''. 1991. Volume #5.

Training

The training methods for Hōten-ryū focus on striking and mechanics of the weapons, which is done in solo practice at first, utilizing natural targets. Afterwards, the

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practiced in Japanese martial arts ...

themselves are then done in pairs as an extension of the solo practice. There are 10 steps in teaching, each based on the progression of the weapons and the skill level of the practitioner with them. The hidden weapons of Hōten-ryū are concealable and tough, generally handmade (outside of the sword and tessen) out of rough iron or natural materials. So, the creating of weapons is in fact part of the training and tradition of the ryū. For example, the

jō A is an approximately wooden staff, used in some Japanese martial arts. The martial art of wielding the jō is called ''jōjutsu'' or ''jōdō''. Also, ''aiki-jō Aiki-jō (Kanji: 合気杖 Hiragana: あいきじょう) is the name given ...

(short staff) is made using tree branches, which makes it different from most other ryūha that use milled or machine-made versions. That is to say, the jo is rough, and usually bent; the curvature of the wood is part of the techniques used within the school, so there is a unique shape that is sought after, one that is found in nature. Many other weapons made of wood require flexibility/pliability so there is a method to finding the right wood and creating them. The use of natural rope is also a part of the ryū, so skill in finding materials and making it is required. A basic understanding of traditional iron working is necessary; however the advent of modern machinery has sped up the process. Filing and other methods (such as design) are still taught and used, and traditional tools are also taught, though modern methods are faster and get better results. Many of the weapons are concealed as everyday objects (or resembled the everyday objects of their era) so the altering and use of "existing" objects is also important. Shōdo is also part of the training regimen and the writing and understanding of old

kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

is essential. This coincides with (verbal teachings) of the ryū and it is essential to transmit the (strategy) within the school.

Documents and scrolls

Hōten-ryū is and was a private school. None of the previous headmasters felt the need to list their names in encyclopedias of the martial arts or to join large martial arts organizations in the mid-twentieth century. Therefore, not much was known or recorded about the school outside the school itself until the 1940s, when the 14th Sōke began teaching publicly and accepting more than the customary handful of students at any one time. Most of the techniques of Hōten-ryū are simple and conform to the mechanics of the weapon being used. Therefore, no major Densho (scrolls describing the techniques) were clearly recorded. The use of the weapons is handed down orally, in the form of ''kuden'' (oral teachings). Despite this tradition, there are three primary scrolls concerning Hōten-ryū: ''Hōten Ryū Yuraisho'' (Hōten-ryū founding and history), ''Nancho Hokucho'' (secrets of the imperial family/history of the Southern and Northern court wars), and ''Gōdaigen'' (strategy and philosophy of the ryū). In the ''Gōdaigen'', the majority of the techniques are encrypted for the ryū, naming and outlining basic principles that are taught along with the oral teachings.

Weapons

There are a number of weapons taught in the school. The primary weapon is the sword, but there are many other weapons. In particular, the curriculum includes a large number of flexible weapons. A partial list of weapons includes: * Bladed Weapons *# Katana (Sword) * Blunt weapons *# Tsue or Jo (Walking Stick) *# Rokushakubo (Staff) *# Tetsujo (Iron Truncheon) *# Tessen (Iron Fan) *# Te-Sasumata (Handheld Forked Weapon) *# Tekken (Knuckledusters) * Flexible weapons *# Nichokusari (Double-Weighted Chain) *# Himofundo (Weighted Rope) *# Momiji (Rope with Serrated Weight - a subset of the Himofundo) *# Nichojobin (Chains with Handles - Paired) *# Nikon (Flail, similar to Ryukyu nunchaku) *# Tebyou (Short Double-Weighted Chain) *# Bo-Kusari (Chain with Handle) *# Shakuri (Light chain with handle) *# Kusarigama (Weighted-chain with Sickle) * Thrown Weapons *# Nagebari (Throwing Needles)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoten-Ryu Ko-ryū bujutsu Shugendō Japanese martial arts