Kito-ryu

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The Kito-ryū school of jujutsu is a koryu martial art whose syllabus comprises atemi-waza (striking techniques), nage-waza (throwing techniques), kansetsu-waza (joint locking techniques) and shime-waza (choking techniques). Many of these techniques are performed while in full armor.

[edit] Origin

Kito-ryu was founded by two samurai named Fukuno and Terada. Fukuno had mastered Yagyu Shingan Ryu and previous to that had learned "secret arts" from the near legendary Chen Yuan-Ping. Yuan-Ping was a Chinese scholar who moved to Japan in 1638 teaching Taoism's Lao Tzu and T'ung K'ao (a Chinese martial art based upon the principle of ju).

Kito Ryu is translated as the school of the rise and fall. It is a form of "aikijujitsu", the principle of "ki" (energy) and aiki (Kito teaches that "When two minds are united, the stronger controls the weaker...). Equally it used principles such as "kuzushi no ri" or breaking of balance.

[edit] Base art of Judo

Jigoro Kano trained in Kito-ryū and derived some of the principles that were to form the basis of modern judo from this style. Judo's Koshiki-no-kata is based on Kito-ryū.