This is an incomplete list of '' koryū'' (lit. "traditional schools", or "old schools") martial arts. These are schools of martial arts that originated in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and were founded prior to 1876, when the act prohibiting the wearing of swords ('' Haitōrei'') came into effect after the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

Alphabetical listing

Comprehensive systems

Asayama Ichiden-ryū Asayama Ichiden-ryū (浅山一伝流) is a traditional Japanese koryū martial art school founded in 1566 during the late Muromachi period by Asayama Ichidensai Shigetatsu. Originally focused on atemi (striking) and gyakute (joint-reversal) techn ...

Kashima Shin-ryū is a Japanese ''koryū'' martial art whose foundation dates back to the early 16th century.Karl Friday, Friday, Karl F. with Seki Humitake, ''Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima Shinryū and Samurai Martial Culture'', Honolulu: University of Haw ...

Kukishin-ryū , originally "Nine Gods Divine (from heaven) School" (also translated as "Nine Demon Divine (from heaven) School" by many modern groups having different lineages) is a Japanese martial arts, Japanese martial art allegedly founded in the 14th c ...

* Sekiguchi Shinshin-ryū *

Suiō-ryū is a style of classical Japanese swordsmanship. It was founded by Mima Yoichizaemon Kagenobu at the end of the Sengoku period. The style specialises in iaijutsu but other arts, such as jōjutsu, naginatajutsu and kusarigamajutsu are practised as ...

Tatsumi-ryū is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of Japanese martial arts founded in the early 16th century by Tatsumi Sankyo. History Tatsumi Sankyo was born in what is now Ehime Prefecture, Japan, on Shikoku island. He is thought to have been active as ...

Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of Tōyō kanji. is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts and an exemplar of ''bujutsu''. It was founded by Iizasa Ienao, who lived near Katori Shrine (Sawara, Chiba, Sawara ...

* Tenshinshō Jigen-ryū *

Takenouchi-ryū is one of the oldest jujutsu koryū in Japan. It was founded in 1532, the first year of Tenbun, on the twenty-fourth of the sixth lunar month by Takenouchi Chūnagon Daijō Nakatsukasadaiyū Hisamori, the lord of Ichinose Castle in Sakushū ...

Tendō-ryū , also known as , is a koryū (school of traditional Japanese martial arts) founded in 1582 by Saito Hangan Denkibo Katsuhide. The current headmaster (as of 2020) is the 17th sōke Kimura Yasuko. Although Denkibo was already an incredibly talen ...

Yagyū Shingan-ryū , is a traditional Samurai warrior tradition of ancient Japan (''Kobudō''). There are two distinct lineages of Yagyū Shingan-ryū known as Sendai-Heihojutsu and Edo-Taijutsu. The term has its roots in Japanese Zen Buddhism, and refers to an ...

Grappling/close-quarters ryū (armoured, unarmoured)

Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu , originally called , is a Japanese martial art that first became widely known in the early 20th century under the headmastership of Takeda Sōkaku. Takeda had extensive training in several martial arts (including Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ry� ...

Hontai Yōshin-ryū is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded from the original teachings of Hontai Yoshin Takagi Ryu, c. 1660, by Takagi Shigetoshi. Some sources give Takagi's middle name as Setsuemon, while others give it as Oriemon ...

Kitō-ryū is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of the Japanese martial art of jujutsu. Its syllabus comprises ''atemi-waza'' (striking techniques), ''nage-waza'' (throwing techniques), ''kansetsu-waza'' (joint locking techniques) and ''shime-waza'' ( ...

Sekiguchi-ryū , or , is a Japanese martial arts, Japanese martial art founded in the mid-17th century, notable for its Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu, and Jujutsu, including the art of kyusho-jutsu. History The founder of Sekiguchi ryu was Sekiguchi Yarokuemon Ujimune, a ...

Shindō Yōshin-ryū , meaning "New Willow School" is a traditional school ('' ko-ryū'') of Japanese martial arts, teaching primarily the art of ''jūjutsu''. The first kanji of the name originally translated into "新=New", but in the mainline branch the kanji fo ...

* Sosuishi-ryū *

Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū , meaning "Divine True Willow School", can be classified as a traditional school ('' koryū'') of jūjutsu. It was founded by in the 1830s. Its syllabus comprises ''atemi-waza'' (striking techniques), ''nage-waza'' (throwing techniques), ''to ...

Yōshin-ryū ("The School of the Willow Heart") is a common name for one of several different martial traditions founded in Japan during the Edo period. The most popular and well-known was the Yōshin-ryū founded by physician Akiyama Shirōbei Yoshitoki at ...

- Founded by Akiyama Yoshitoki *

Yōshin-ryū (Yōshin Koryū) ("The School of the Willow Heart") is a common name for one of several different martial traditions founded in Japan during the Edo period. The most popular and well-known was the Yōshin-ryū founded by physician Akiyama Shirōbei Yoshitoki at ...

- Founded by Miura Yōshin

Sword-drawing ryū (battōjutsu, iaijutsu, etc.)

* Hoki-ryū *

Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū is a Japanese sword art school and one of the most widely practiced schools of iai in the world. Often referred to simply as "Eishin-ryū," it claims an unbroken lineage dating back from the sixteenth century to the early 20th century. 17th un ...

* Sekiguchi-ryu *

Tamiya-ryū (Kuroda) is a martial art founded by Kamiizumi Magojirō Yoshitane (上泉孫次郎義胤), who later took his mother's name and became known as Tamiya Gon'emon Muneshige (民弥権右衛門宗重). The art is now part of the Kuroda family '' bujutsu''. ...

Tamiya-ryū (Tsumaki) Iaijutsu is a Japanese koryū martial art founded by Tamiya Heibei Narimasa in the late 16th century. Lineages Three main lineages are usually recognized as being from Tamiya-ryū: Ko Tamiya-ryū, Kishū Tamiya-ryū and Shin Tamiya-ryū. How ...

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 ...

Sword-fighting ryū (kenjutsu, tōjutsu)

* Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū *

Ittō-ryū , meaning "one-sword school", is the ancestor school of several Japanese Koryū kenjutsu styles, including Ono-ha, Mizoguchi-ha, Nakanishi-ha, Kogen, Hokushin, Itto Shoden and even Mugai Ryu. The style was developed by Itō Ittōsai Kagehisa. ...

Hokushin Ittō-ryū is a that was founded in the late Edo period by . He was one of the last masters who was called a . Curriculum and Characteristics The curriculum of this (martial arts style) contains mainly , and , but the main weapons used are the long ...

** Ittō Shoden Muto-ryū ** Kogen Ittō-ryū ** Mizoguchi-ha Ittō-ryū ** Nakanishi Ittō-ryū ** Ono-ha Ittō-ryū *

Jigen-ryū Jigen-ryū (示現流 lit: ''sudden revelation style'') is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of Japanese martial arts founded in the late 16th century by Tōgō Chūi (1560–1643), a.k.a. Tōgō Shigekata, in Satsuma Province, now Kagoshima p ...

Kage-ryū is a Japanese koryū martial art founded in the late Muromachi period c. 1550 by Yamamoto Hisaya Masakatsu. __TOC__ About The system teaches battojutsu using very long swords known as Nodachi, choken. The kanji for Choken Battojutsu Kageryū ...

Kage-ryū (Aizu) is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu'') founded by Aizu Hyūga-no-Kami Iko (c. 1452–1538) in c. 1490. This school is also sometimes called Aizu Kage-ryū after the name of its founder. The founder was also ...

Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū , often referred to simply as Jikishinkage-ryū or Kashima Shinden, is a traditional school (''koryū'') of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu''). The school was founded in the mid-16th century, based upon older styles of swo ...

Kashima Shintō-ryū is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded by Tsukahara Bokuden in the Muromachi period (c.1530). Due to its formation during the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai, a time of feudal war, the school's techniques are based on ...

* Maniwa Nen-ryū *

Mugai-ryū or "Outer Nothingness School" is a Japanese '' koryū'' martial art school founded by on 23 June 1680. Its formal name is Mugai Shinden Kenpō (無外真伝剣法). History The founder of Mugai-ryū, Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻月丹資茂) ...

Nen-ryū is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded in 1368 CE by the samurai Sōma Shiro Yoshimoto (c.14th century) in modern-day Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Ja ...

Tennen Rishin-ryū is a Japanese martial art, commonly known as the style practiced by several core members of the Shinsengumi. Origins The Tennen Rishin ryu is a traditional swordsmanship school, codified during the Kansei Era (1789–1801) by Kondō Kuranosuke ...

* Shingyotō-ryū *

Shinkage-ryū ' meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school ('' koryu'') of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Hidetsuna, later Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna Friday, Karl ''Legacies of the sword'', page 24. Univers ...

Yoshioka-ryū is a koryū Japanese sword-fighting martial art and is part of the Kyohachi-ryū. The Yoshioka-ryū became famous during the latter half of the 16th century when Yoshioka Kenpo (founder of Yoshioka-ryū) was assigned to be the sword instructor ...

Spear/polearm-fighting ryū (sōjutsu, naginatajutsu)

* Higo Ko-ryū *

Hōzōin-ryū is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of Japanese martial arts that specializes in the art of spearmanship (''sōjutsu''). Hōzōin-ryū was founded by Hōzōin Kakuzenbō In'ei (宝蔵院覚禅房胤栄, 1521–1607) in c. 1560. In'ei was ...

* Jikishinkage-ryū Naginatajutsu * Toda ha Buko-ryū *

(not to be confused with

) * Tenshin Bukō-ryū Heihō

Stick/Staff ryū (jōjutsu, bōjutsu)

Shintō Musō-ryū , most commonly known by its practice of ''jōdō'', is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of the Japanese martial art of '' jōjutsu'', or the art of wielding the short staff ('' jō''). The technical purpose of the art is to learn how to defeat ...

Blade throwing ryū (shuriken-jutsu)

Negishi Ryu is a Japanese surname and place name. It may refer to: * Ei-ichi Negishi, a Japanese chemist who was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry ** Negishi coupling, a chemical reaction discovered by Ei-ichi Negishi in 1977 * Kichitaro Negishi, a Jap ...

Various weaponry

Isshin-ryū is a style of Okinawan karate created by Tatsuo Shimabuku (島袋龍夫) in approximately 1947/1948 (and named its present name on January 15, 1956). Isshin-Ryū karate is largely a synthesis of Shorin-ryū karate, Gojū-ryū karate, and k ...

(kusarigamajutsu; not to be confused with

karate)

References

{{Japanese martial arts Koryu