Koshiki-no-kata, first reactions
C. Barioli, 23 November 2007
We have the chance to have a dinner with two Master of Kodokan, 8° and 5° Dan and discuss about the Koshiki-no-kata of Mr.Kano.
Certainly we felt obsolete and provincial, not up to the task of dealing whith the deeply judoistic culture of who can take part directly whith the destiny of mondial judo.
Therefore, we acquaint you whith the facts, we have collected about the Koshiki-no-kata.
Those who were present for dinner, as well as the two japanese, were: Giorgio Sozzi, his daughter Ilaria (Ju-no-kata european champion) and his son Andrea , Pino Tesini , Alessio Lisi , Paola Vallardi , Cristina Daniele , Cesare Barioli e Ivana Gaio.
1° Hontai is the idea of the posture of Kito-ryu which Mr Kano take Shizen-hontai.
2° An old form of Koshiki provides tori turning toward kamiza and spectator then perform a standing bow, after this, moving slightly back, uke perform a standing bow toward tori.
3° Kito-ryu-no-kata is different from Koshiki-no-kata. Mr Kano use to practise the first, whereas the present Kodokan practise the second one.
I say again: Kano Jigoro practise Kito-ryu-no-kata, whereas Kodokan Tokyo practise Koshiki-no-kata.
4° “Muhyoshi” (insisting whith the “h” between “u” and “y”) is the ability in misanderstending our ritms to the other. He hold up the exemple of wolking on shallow water where i can feel the ruggedness, but while I'm swiming I have no idea about the bottom. This is like what Musashi sey in Gorin-no-sho, Book of water, Heiho kokoromochi-no-koto: “An excitated spirits is as week as a low spirits; don't allowed your enemies to perceive your spirits”. This refer to tatemae and honne: the first mean “what you show” the second one “what you think” . Musashi invite to not disclose your thought, so muyoshi,or muhyoshi should be the ability to hide our purpose end ablity.
We partly agree with this. Muyoshi is demonstrate in the two first tecnics (tai and yume-no-uchi) in the Koshiki-no-kata of Mr Kano: uke attack with an old hip movement and tori neutralize the move; uke insist and tori repeats. The spirt of this action is “ It is useless for you to attack me, you have anderestimate me, I will alwais neutralize your attack”. As uke never surrender, tori end up, in tai by throwing him with his own ritms, and in yume-no-uchi because of the reaction of the other.
5° He give a description of fudo and shinki as spirituals pose. Sure. But they have repercussion on the external body. One whith the attention and peripheral sight, the other whith the consciousness kept in tanden, who give rise to local bodly tension. Still in the Book of water by Musashi there are data about this.
6° He manteined that Noda-ha and Takenaka-ha (Noda's branch and Takenaka's branch of Kito's tradition) are not so different. It's a point of view. About Koshiki-no-kata we retain relating whith judo the form execute by Mr Kano.
7° At last he give us two documents by photocopy. One is formed by photograph of Kano 's kata published in Butokukai annals, useful for certain details but not to reconstruct the movement. We reproduce the second one in the english version, whith the italian translation we managed to made. That Mr Kano could be considered doshu (heir of the tradition) of Kito-ryu Takenaka-ha it is possible, because he has the Transmission (shiho) from Iikubo Tsunetoshi, certainly he never perform the duties.
That afterwards Mr Nagaoka Suichi became too (of Noda-ha or Takenaka-ha?) and after him Daigo Toshiro should be proved, showing the proper documents.
Mr Nagaoka arrives at Kodokan from Noda-ha at sixteen, he hardly trained judo still he became one of the 10° dan live awarded by Kano . They want to say that Kodokan has been technicaly guided by two jiu-jutsu's higth exponent?
One consideration about the Kitoryu Scroll
Kano Jigoro Shihan was a deeply researched the Kitoryu. Therefore, he thought that it was a very profitable for the Judo education. Especialy, this is profit to the technical and the theoretical. Then, he left and preserved this. The Kitouryu, Hito no Kan (Man's scroll), Yoroi Kumiuchi no Kata (Fight with Armor's Kata), Omote Ura 21Ka Jyo ( Table, Back 21 Kinds) in tha Kata of Kodokan. It called Kodokan Koshiki no Kata.There are various opinions about the founder of the Kitouryu. Who named “The Kitouryu” ? It called Takuan Zenshi (Zen Priest).It was made the name of the Kitouryu School by Ibaragi Matazaemon Yoshinobu, Gou Sensai, (Official Name Sensai). He was a student of Yagyu Munekane. Person at the same school that coopereted with him. His name called Fukuno Hichirou Uzaemon Masakatsu.
He founded other school that called Kyouihinntouryu. It transmits to these students, Yoshimura Heisuke Takujyu, Hotsuta Sauemon Yoshitsune, Terada Ichiuemon Seijyo,Takino Senuemon Sadataka (Yuken). Espcialy, Sadataka went Edo with Inugamu Gunbei Nagatomo ( Kyushiryu School ) at 1735 when he was a 41 years old. He opend Dojo at Asakusa Misujicho at Edo . In this time, he had 3000 students.
Genealogy of the Kitouryu School
Ibaragi Matazaemon Yoshinobu, (Sensai) -> Fukuno Hichirou Uzaemon Masakatsu -> Yoshimura Heisuke Takujyu -> Hotsuta Sauemon Yoritsune -> Terada Ichiuemon Seijyo -> Takino Senuemon Sadataka (Yuken) -> Takenaka Tesunosuke -> Iikubo Tsunetoshi -> Kano Jigoro -> Nagaoaka Shuichi -> Daigo Toshiro
The teaching method of the Kitouryu
1, Hontai (The fundamental Thinking method scroll)
2, Hito no Kan (The technique scroll)
3, Chi no Kan (The Application of technique scroll)
4, Ten no Kan (The application of technique scroll)
5, Seikyou no Kan (The ultimate thinking method scroll)
Conclusion of the Kitouryu scroll
- Unlike other Jujutsu, Kitouryu does not use Supernatural or Mysterious power
- The power is a thing originally equipped with the man from the biginning
- Satori (Spiritual Enlightenment) self-trains by myself.
- The all things are made from the nothing. It is common with the oriental philosophy
- True enemy is not the partners who fight. A true enemy is a feared mind.
- It was the purpose that an early time of Jujitsu killed the partner. But, the purpose of the Kitouryu is changed which how to control of mind
- The Kitouryu is the same as pursuit of knowledge of Zen
- It is the Kitouryu which developed the view that this education was the purpose
- However, mind control was the last purpose of Kitouryu. But Judo replaced that the last purpose is contributing to the world.
Member of the Japan Budo Academic Society
Kodokan 5th Dan Tatsuya Matsumoto