Hokushin Itto-ryu
| Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō (北辰一刀流兵法) |
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| Founder | Chiba Shūsaku Taira no Narimasa(千葉 周作 平 成政) |
| Date founded | c. 1820 |
| Period founded | Late Edo period |
| Location founded |
 Edo, Japan (日本) |
| Current headmaster | Various lineages are still extant and taught |
| Art | Description |
| Kenjutsu - Battojutsu - Naginatajutsu - Jujutsu - Gekiken | Sword art – long and short sword; Naginata |
| Hokushin-ryu • Ittō-ryū | |
| Negishi-ryu • Itto Shoden Muto-ryu • various other schools | |
Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō (北辰一刀流兵法) is a koryū (古流) which was founded in the late Edo period (1820’s) by Chiba Shusaku Narimasa (千葉周作成政, 1794- 1856). He was one of the last masters who was called a Kensei (sword saint).
The curriculum of the ryūha contains mainly Kenjutsu, Battōjutsu, Naginatajutsu and Jūjutsu. But the main weapons used are the long sword and short sword (Katana and Wakizashi).
The Hokushin Ittō-ryū is a very intense dueling style, which focuses on simple and fast techniques where no unnecessary movements are made. Controlling the enemy’s center line with the Kiri-Otoshi and dominating him with extremely fast tsuki-waza are the signature techniques of this ryūha. The principles of this style are that a perfect technique should contain defence and offense in one action.
Characteristic for the training is the use of Onigote (heavily padded gloves) like in its ancestor styles Ono-ha Ittō-ryū and Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū which are used in several Kumitachi-Kata (two person practice). This kind of training became more and more obsolete at the end of the Edo-period with the spread of Gekiken and the use of Bogu and Shinai.
This style is also one of the few remaining ryūha which is still training Kumitachi with Shinken (real swords). One has in order to become Shihan, master every technique with Shinken (Kumitachi and Battōjutsu). This is a very dangerous training method but guarantees, that the quality of those masters is held on a very high level.
At the end of the Bakumatsu period (1853-1867), the Hokushin Ittō-ryū was one of the three biggest and most famous ryūha all over Japan. Swordsmen of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū had a strong influence on the development of modern Kendō in the late 19th century. Also many famous and politically influential people were masters of this swordsmanship school.
Some of the most prominent names:
The Hokushin Ittō-ryū has three teaching steps:
Like many other koryū, the Hokushin Ittō-ryū traditionally awards makimono-scrolls and/ or inka-jō. There is no modern Dan system in the school. The traditional five scrolls of Hokushin Ittō-ryū are:
The so-called Naginata Mokuroku 長刀目録 also exists and is normally issued together with the Menkyo (Chūmokuroku). It certifies the mastery of all Naginatajutsu techniques of the school.
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