Hozoin-ryu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Koryu 古流 Martial Art | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu 寳藏院流槍術, 宝蔵院流槍術 (Takada-ha) | ||
| Founder(s) | ||
| Hozoin Kakuzenbo In-ei 寳藏院覚禅房胤栄 | - | |
| Date founded | ||
| Late Muromachi period | ca. 1560 | |
| Current headmaster | ||
| Kagita Chubei | Headmaster Takada-ha | |
| Arts taught in the Hozoin-ryu | ||
| Japanese name | Description | |
| Sojutsu 槍術 - Su yari, Kama Yari | Spear art - Two types of spear used. | |
Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu (寳藏院流槍術, 宝蔵院流槍術), a koryu school of martial arts, was founded by Hōzōin Kakuzenbō In-ei (寳藏院覚禅房胤栄) in the late Muromachi Period (c. 1560), a Buddhist monk of the Kohfukuji Temple (興福寺) in Nara, Japan. He adored martial arts and trained in the arts of swordsmanship. At the same time, he was coached and mentored by Daizendayu Moritada, a master of the spear. Under this master's guidance Hozoin Kakuzenbo honed his skills with that weapon.
It is said that one evening, on seeing the reflection of the crescent moon shining on Sarusawa pond, he was inspired to create a spear with a cross-shaped spearhead. He imagined this style of spear would be more effective in fighting. With this new type of spear, he founded the Hōzōin-ryū Sōjutsu School of Spearfighting.
Later, the teachings Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu were passed down to Nakamura Naomasa and then Takada Matabee Yoshitsugu. The three best disciples of Takada went to Edo, the present day Tokyo, to promote the art. Its reputation spread nationwide and the number of disciples increased. The martial arts of the Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu were passed down from generation to generation, creating various new techniques and branches of teaching.
At the end of Tokugawa shogunate feudal government, around the middle of the 19th century, there were many masters of Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu at the martial arts training center of the shogunate.
Eventually in 1976, Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu returned to Nara. In 1991 Kagita Chubee was appointed the 20th headmaster and has been leading the Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu school since that time.
An ancient Japanese poem expresses the spear of Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu:
"It can be a spear to thrust. It can be a pole-sword to cleave. It can be a sickle to slash. In any case, it never fails to miss the target ."
