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Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō Ryū (天真正伝香取神道流) is one of the oldest extant martial arts in Japan, a true koryu. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō Ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, who was living near Katori Shrine (Sawara City, Chiba Prefecture) at the time. The ryū itself gives 1447 as the year it was founded, but some scholars claim circa 1480 is more historically accurate (Watatani 1967).
Iizasa Ienao was a respected spearman and swordsman whose daimyō was deposed, encouraging him to relinquish control of his household to conduct purification rituals and study martials arts in isolation. Legend says he spent 1000 days in Katori Shrine practising martial techniques day and night, until the kami of the shrine, Futsunoshi no Mikoto, appeared to him in a dream and handed down the secrets of martial strategy in a scroll named mokuroku heiho no shinsho.
The current (2005) headmaster is Iizasa Yasusada (飯篠修理亮快貞 Iizasa Shuri-no-suke Yasusada). The representative, and sole head instructor on behalf of the headmaster is Otake Risuke (Narita City, Chiba Prefecture). Other unauthorized instructors not licensed jointly by the headmaster and Otake-sensei are also teaching in both Japan and abroad.
The syllabus comprises kenjutsu (either with katana or wakizashi), ryotōjutsu (both swords at once), naginatajutsu (glaive), iaijutsu (sword drawing), bojutsu (staff), sōjutsu (spear), yawara-jutsu (grappling and knife fighting), shurikenjutsu (spike throwing), ninjutsu (intelligence gathering and analysis), chikujojutsu (field fortification art), gunbai heihō (strategy and tactics), in-yo kigaku (philosophical and mystical aspects derived from esoteric Buddhism).
References
- Otake, Risuke (1977). The Deity and the Sword - Katori Shinto-ryu Vol. 1, Japan, Japan Publications Trading Co. ISBN 0-87040-378-8 (Original Japanese title for all three volumes in this series is Mukei Bunkazai Katori Shinto-ryu)
- Otake, Risuke (1977). The Deity and the Sword - Katori Shinto-ryu Vol. 2, Japan, Japan Publications Trading Co. ISBN 0-87040-405-9
- Otake, Risuke (1977). The Deity and the Sword - Katori Shinto-ryu Vol. 3, Japan, Japan Publications Trading Co. ISBN 0-87040-406-7
- Sugino, Yoshio & Ito, Kikue (1977). Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu Budo Kyohan (A Textbook of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu Martial Training; originally published in 1941).
- Watatani, Kiyoshi (1967). (Zusetsu) Kobudōshi, Tokyo
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