Jigen-ryū (示現流 lit: ''revealed reality style'') is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of

Japanese martial arts 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 usa ...

founded in the late 16th century by Tōgō Chūi (1560–1643), a.k.a. Tōgō Shigekata, in

Satsuma Province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation is . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. D ...

, now Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. It focuses mainly on the art of swordsmanship. Jigen-ryū is known for its emphasis on the first strike: Jigen-ryū teachings state that a second strike is not even to be considered.Powerful 1st strike of Jigen-ryu (Jul. 6, 2008) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/columns/0005/lens236.htm The basic technique is to hold the sword in a high version of hasso-no-kamae called tonbo-no-kamae (蜻蛉構 Dragonfly Stance), with the sword held vertically above the right shoulder. The attack is then done by running forward at your opponent and then cutting diagonally down on their neck. The

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is a loud "Ei!". Traditionally this is practised using a long wooden stick, and cutting against a vertical pole, or even a real tree. During a hard practice, the wood is said to give off the smell of smoke. During the Edo period, at the height of its popularity, adepts of Jigen-ryū were said to practice striking the pole 3,000 times in the morning, and another 8,000 times in the afternoon. The style is also famous for his specific and impressive

they called ''Enkyō'' (monkey's scream). The style is still taught at the Jigen-ryū practice hall in the city of Kagoshima.

References

External links

Jigen Ryu Togo Foundation
Home page of the Jigen-ryū information center in Kagoshima. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jigen-ryu * Ko-ryū bujutsu Japanese martial arts