[BLACK PANTA]

Kenjutsu to my knowledge is Sword techniques. If there are sword techniques in Kenpo what sword do they use? Is it similar to kendo or is it similar to Chinese sword techniques?

[Gong||Jau]

That's what confused me. I've never studied Kenjutsu or Kendo so I don't know whether or not they have empty-handed techniques, but I know that they're most well-known for their sword work.

[jlambvo]

Kukishin ryu referred to their swordwork as kenpo. Source: http://www.shinjin.co.jp/kuki/hyoho/catalog_e.htm#n1

They used tachi, large swords that predate the modern katana. The technique is seperate from their unarmed fighting. Altogether the ryu refers to their art as "happo bikenjutsu" or 8 secret weapon ways, which includes unarmed fighting and grappling in armor (dakentaijutsu, yoroi kumi-uchi), short range battlefield weapons (jutte, tessen, shoto), kenjutsu, defensive stick weapons (jo, hanbo), offensive stick weapons (rokushakubo), spear and polearms (naginata, bisento, yari), throwing blades, and battlefield strategy (a large topic that seems to have included army tactics, meteorology, disguise/stealth/espionage, use of water and fire, fortress construction, etc). They also taught horsemanship and frequently fought on naval vessels. I think there are three branches taught today: Hatsumi Masaaki (Bujinkan dojo), Tanaka Fumon (Kukishin ryu bojutsu), and Kuki Takatake (of the Kuki family).

One headmaster of Kukishin ryu became allies with the soke of Takagi Yoshin ryu; after a friendly match they became convinced of Kuki's superior weapon use and Takagi's better jujutsu, and restructured each other's cirriculum to resolve the differences. I was just reading something about a little known sub-style of fighting that was developed by Ohkuni Shigenobu (13 soke Kukishin ryu, c. 168 between these two, that combines Kukishin ryu's weaponry and battlefield grappling, Yoshin ryu's indoor jujutsu, and "rough-and-tumble street grappling." He was supposed to have simply called it Shinken Gata, and it is written under the title Tora no Maki.

According to some history notes I have, the founder of Itto ryu was a student of someone who practiced Kukishin ryu, and it goes on to say that some of Itto ryu's higher teachings and notes on strange swordwork are nearly if not completely identical to kenjutsu from Kukishin ryu. There is also the supposition that Kito ryu was influenced by the Kukishin ryu, as one headmaster of the former was a student of one of the Kuki's and contains some nearly identical teachings (which might well be in turn from Yoshin ryu ). It would be interesting to substantiate either of these.

[jlambvo]

Panta, here is a brief explanation of at least some of the terms Hengest listed. Feel free to correct or add to any of them:

Tessenjutsu - This is use of an iron warfan, used like a truncheon for in-fighting on the battlefield. I've heard of them being made with mirrored surfaces that could reflect light into the eyes of your enemy, be used as a shield against thrown objects, and can be opened suddenly as a distraction. You can also beat the guy silly with it.

Juttejutsu - A truncheon with a single prong on the side, which can be used to catch swords and disarm the opponent. It can also be used to aid small-joint manipulation and puncture kyusho. Used by police as a non-lethal means to detain unruly samurai, but also used on the battlefield in grappling (and to break open helmets).

Kusarijutsu - Chain weapons... flexibility allows dynamic range, unpredictable movement, yet unlike a rope can be used directly against bladed weapons.

Kamajutsu - The short sickle weapon, used alone or sometimes attached to a chain (kusari-gama, the "k" becomes a "g" in conjunction with another word).

Kusaribojutsu - I'm assuming this is a chain weapon hidden inside a cane, or a sectional staff weapon of some kind.

Tekkenjutsu - One of the few forms of digital combat that cannot be dominated by sheer button-mashing. Naw, I actually don't know what this is.

Koppojutsu - A typically unarmed method (though the principles apply to weapons use), my favorite translation is "breaking the structure." Focuses on percussive manipulation of the opponent's skeletal alignment to lock up the body, destroy joints, and expose vital points. Hatsumi soke has also referred to "koppo" as simply meaning "knack," like to have skill at something, so it could just be a way of referfing to knowing when and where to hit someone.

Kosshijutsu - Often interpreted as bone-finger art and previously known as shito-jutsu this style makes frequent use of finger drives (shito-ken) to attack the nervous system and organs. It also means backbone, which can refer to the use of rotating the spine to generate power, the way its techniques affect the opponent's spine (twisting it up to take his balance and create tension for vital strikes), and sometimes to figuratively refer to it as the "backbone of martial arts."

Kyushojutsu - Attacks to weak points, often based on accu-points from chinese medicince which are often related to the nervous and circulatory systems. Kyusho also include organs, joints, weak bones, arteries, and so forth, usually attacked through surface areas that do not accumulate muscle or fat tissue.

Nageyarijutsu - throwing spears, I gather.

Hojutsu - Use of the rope in combat, for capturing and restraining. I heard a story of Hatsumi tying up Shiraisi-sensei and walking away, where the poor shihan was still standing (barely) but any movement on his part (including falling) would either choke him or break one of several small joints. Being Shiraisi, he was of course grinning like a fool the whole time

Bajutsu - Horsemanship, for riding in armor and fighting from horseback with various weapons.

Kyujutsu - Archery... only a couple koryu kyujutsu exist today, most were homogonized into the gendai art of kyudo.

[bamboo]

Some are repeats.

Archery
Shagei

Spear based arts
Sujutsu
yarijutsu
Naginatajutsu
Sodengaramijutsu
Sasumatajutsu

Horsemanship
Jobajutsu
suibajutsu

Swimming
Suiejutsu
Oyogijutsu
Katchu gozen oyogi

[jlambvo]

A few other styles found within the Bujinkan dojo (Yoshin ryu already mentioned by Setsu):

Gyokko ryu
Kosshijutsu/shitojutsu
Formalized by Sakagami Kunishige in the mid-16th century

Koto ryu
Koppojutsu, kenjutsu, shurikenjutsu
Also formalized by Sakagami Kunishige in the mid-16th century (the two were inherited by Momochi Sandayu and passed down together through the Toda family. The two schools compliment each other.
Ueno Takashi and Fukumoto Sensei (Kaden Koto Ryu) both claim to be soke of this school in addition to Hatsumi Masaaki.

Shinden Fudo ryu
Taijutsu (dakentaijtsu, jutaijutsu), iaijutsu/battojutsu, bisento, o-ono (great axe)
Supposedly formalized by Izumo Yoshitero (who also founded Kukishinden ryu) in the early 12th century. One of the earliest examples of iaijutsu, which is hidden in its jujutsu.

Gikan ryu
Koppojutsu
Uryu Gikanbo founded this in the late 16th century. The densho only lists kata by name, the teachings are purely oral tradition and rarely taught. I've seen only a couple technique from it. They friggin hurt.

We of course have the three ninjutsu ryu. There is a lot of conjecture about the legitimacy of these arts. It is not unreasonable to me that the teachings of these arts are at the very least a synthesis of strategies and tactics found within other systems. Kukishin ryu appears to have quite a bit on invisibility, disguise, espionage, scouting, military strategy, the use of fire and water, and fortress construction (and hence their weaknesses). Gyokko ryu and Koto ryu both came to the Toda family by way of Momochi Sandayu, a famous Iga ninja, and all three ninjutsu ryu demonstrate influences by one or both of these styles.

[Gong||Jau]

Thanks for the explanation jlambvo.

[jlambvo]

Yep, don't know what kenpo refers to in other sword schools of course (if it is used elsewhere).

Panta, are you just looking to list styles, or expound more on their differences?

[Wilhelm von Wankenstein]

Nice posts, jlambvo and everyone else

BTW, I wouldn't be entirely clear, but I think Tekkenjutsu, prior to the late 20th century, would refer to the use of fist-load weapons similar to the tecchu/tekchu used by Ryukyu kenpoka. I remember looking through a book with photos of yawara-gi weapons and among them were various weapons obviously designed to enhance a clenched fist, several of which looked almost exactly like modern knuckledusters. These were probably holdout weapons carried by samurai for use when swords couldn't be brought or drawn, or else when the shite hit the fan on the battlefield and they really needed to punch someone very, very hard.

Nowadays, of course, it refers to virtuousity in a complex fighting video game that takes place in three planes of motion

[Wilhelm von Wankenstein]

In reply to Panta's questions regarding these various systems, here are the ones I can answer and that have not yet been answered by others:

Yoroidoshijutsu: The yoroi-doshi is a long, pointy dagger whose name literally means 'armour-piercer' and was built expressly for that purpose. This is essentially a subset of yawara-gi - a catch-all term for fighting bare-handed or with small weapons like daggers - that involves a lot of jujutsu-type techniques to take down or immobilise an opponent, lift up his skirt and poke him very, very hard and deep with the dagger...rather homoerotic in a way, really

Kaikenjutsu: I'm not familiar with all the details, but the kaiken was a dagger similar to an aikucchi (dagger without hilt-guard) associated with the female samurai, so this would presumably be an art of the dagger popular with the ladies. Anyone know how it might be different from tanto/aikucchi-jutsu?

Kabutowarijutsu: This is a bit of a mystery to me - as far as I know, the kabutowari is the seam between the two halves of the main shell of a Japanese helmet and runs along the centreline of the head. Many styles of battlefield kenjutsu have a 'pear-splitting cut' that aims to cut through this weakness in the head armour. Does anyone know if this refers to a weapon somehow related to this phenomenon or if it's just some maniac's expansion on 10 Ways to Split A Man's Head Down the Middle?

Jittejutsu: 'Jitte' can be an alternative pronunciation for 'jutte', but a 'jitte' was also a separate weapon entirely, as Hengest once told me. It apparently is essentially the stabbing head of a cross-guarded spear (juji-yari) with a handle wrapped over the tang, making it something like a straight short sword. Apparently, it is employed as a parrying weapon in combat.

Tekkenjutsu: Already mentioned above.

Hojutsu: The traditional art of marksmanship with matchlocks, flintlocks and hand-cannons.

Hojojutsu: The art of arresting, encompassing the use of jujutsu-like techniques and specialised, exotic tools like barbed poles to entangle clothing to subdue unruly people with less than lethal force.

Yabusame: The art of mounted archery.