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ITTO RYU DOJO |
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TRADITIONAL JAPANESE swordmanship |
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ZEN KEN REN JODO |
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It
is quite common in Jodo, as it is in Iaido, to start with a set of forms,
composed by the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei.
This set of 12 forms is based on 12 fundamental Kihon movements and
several techniques of the Shindo Muso Ryu.
Click here for their names and
explanation. These
forms (or Kata) which contain the basic elements for proper Jo manipulation
are often set as a standard and used
in grading and Taikai. It
takes many years to learn how to manipulate not only the Jo, but also the
Bokuto (wooden sword). So, some knowledge of Iaido or Kendo is most likely to
be usefull. But most important of all
is to practice on a regular base the Kihon movements, and once a certain
degree of skill is achieved, comes the more fighting stuff : the Koryu Kata. |
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SHINDO MUSO RYU JOJUTSU There
are not as many schools in Jodo as there are in Iaido, and the Shindo Muso
Ryu is undoubtedly the most important
and most practised throughout Japan and the world. These techniques are much more like
fighting a duel, and less influenced by Kendo than the basic techniques of
the Zen Ken Ren. The fact that the Jo
can be used as three different weapons (sword, naginata and yari) is fully
utilized in this style that was established by Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi
around the end of the 16° century. (Remember his famous fight against
Miyamoto Musashi ?) But there is a
long way to go, to study the complete set of techniques (I am afraid a
lifetime is not enough ) as this school contains more than 70 different Kata… These are the volumes : OMOTE
WAZA CHUDEN KAGE OKUDEN SAMI
DARE GOHON
NO RANAI HIDEN
GOKUI |
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Even
more fun it is, to learn how to manipulate the short wooden stick or Tanjo, literaly based on the use of
a walking stick. (Sometimes even called sutekki-jutsu instead of Uchida Ryu
Tanjo Jutsu).
Click here for the name of the 12
kata, a keypointpicture and a short explanation. Another
element of the Shindo Muso Ryu school, where this time the Jo is not
involved, but where the wooden sword (the long and the short !) are being
used, is the Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu. Very
different indeed from modern Kendo and Iaido ! Other
more advanced techniques are : the us
of the Jitte in Ikkaku Ryu Jitte Jutsu or
the Kusarigame in Isshin Ryu Kusari Gama Jutsu or the rope in Hojo
Jutsu. |
