Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū (天真正伝香取神道流) (天眞正傳香取神道流) |
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Founder | Iizasa Chōisai Ienao (飯篠 長威斉 家直, c.1387–c.1488) |
Date founded | c.1447 |
Period founded | Middle Muromachi period (1336–1573) |
Location founded | Shimōsa Province |
Current headmaster | Yasusada Iizasa (飯篠 修理亮 快貞 Iizasa Shūri-no-Suke Yasusada, born c.20th century) |
Current headquarters | Katori, Chiba |
Art | Description |
Kenjutsu | Sword art |
Battōjutsu | Art of drawing the sword |
Ryōtōjutsu (両刀術?) | Art of using both long and short sword at once |
Bōjutsu | Staff art |
Naginatajutsu | Glaive art |
Sōjutsu | Spear art |
Shurikenjutsu | Spike throwing art |
Jujutsu | Unarmed grappling art |
None identified | |
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū (天真正伝香取神道流?) is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of bujutsu. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born 1387 in Iizasa village (present day Takomachi, Chiba Prefecture), 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.
Iizasa Ienao (飯篠 長威斎 家直 Iizasa Chōi-sai Ienao, c.1387 – c.1488) was a respected spearman and swordsman whose daimyō was deposed, encouraging him to relinquish control of his household to conduct purification rituals and study martial arts in isolation.
Born in the village of Iizasa in Shimōsa Province he moved when young to the vicinity of the famous Katori Shrine, a venerable Shinto institution northeast of Tokyo in what is today's Chiba Prefecture. The Katori Shrine enjoys a considerable martial reputation; the Shrine's Kami, Futsunushi 経津主神 (Futsunushi no kami?) being revered as a spirit of swordsmanship and martial arts.