【Anecdotes of Japanese Martial Arts】Yagyu Shinin-ryu's No-knife Take

Readers who have played "Taihe Lizhi Biography V" may be quite impressed by the plot of Yanagyu Zongyan in the game. There are hundreds of Japanese swordsmanship schools. If you use fame to rank, Yanagyu Xinyinyu should be among the best. Not only the martial arts circle, but also various novels, comics, video games, etc. are often interspersed with related characters or plot settings. The topic I want to talk about today starts with this genre.

The founder of the Yagyu Shinyinyu was Yagyu Zongyan during the Warring States Period. Zongyan was a native of Yagyu, Nara, and he was good at martial arts when he was young. When Kamizumi Nobuzuna passed through Nara, Zongyan was impressed by his martial arts, so he bowed to the door. After Zong Yan's art was completed, Shangquan granted him a biography and said that his martial arts could be called "New Yin Liu".

Shangquan Nobuo was a well-known strategist in the late Warring States period, with many disciples. Today, the ancestors of the tisha-ryu (タイタイタイタイタイタリウタイタイタルムケングラウング, and the ryuzu of the Kaida Yin-ryu, Kaitian Jingkan, are all from the Kamizumi Gate. Although many of Shangquan's disciples or further disciples have founded schools, among them, Yagyu Shinyin-ryu is still the most famous and the most widely spread.

Fame is natural for a reason.

The most famous anecdote of Yanagyu Shinyin-ryu is "Take without a sword". It is said that Yanagyu Mongyan once demonstrated the skill of "no sword" (catching a sword with bare hands) in front of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu was impressed by his martial arts and bowed to the door, and Zongyan asked his son Yagyu Zong to leave the Shidechuan family [1]. In today's Yagyu family, there are still Ieyasu's entry-level petitions to keep. Since then, the Yagyu family has been the swordsman teacher of the Tokugawa shogun's family for generations [2].

In the "History of the Japanese Domain", there is another anecdote about taking no sword. Guan Baifengchen Xiuji asked Zongju about taking a knife without a knife, and Zongju replied, "I have never learned this technique, but I just want to defeat the enemy without a knife." Then he took the knife that Xiuji cut. Afterwards, Hideji was very excited to report the incident to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi sighed after hearing it, "Hideji respects the white, but pays attention to this kind of bare-handed capture of pirates. He is not a general."[3] The following is quite unconvinced. The comparison between these two anecdotes is actually quite interesting.

Because in another rumor, Tokugawa Ieyasu also said something similar: It is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu once watched Kaeda Keikaen's performance and commented that "this kind of swordsmanship is not the swordsmanship of the world", so he turned to Yanyu. Instructing swordsmanship [4]. Keita Keikan was a disciple of Nobuzuna Kamizumi. It is said that when Kamizumi and his party passed through Nara, Yanagyu Mongyan was defeated by Kaida for three consecutive games before he entered Kamizumi. Regardless of whether the rumors are true or false, Kaida once taught the swordsmanship of Toyotomi Hideji, Oda Nobunada and others. From a political point of view, Kaida may not be likable from the beginning.

fencing? politics?

It was in 1594 that Yanagyu Zongju joined the Tokugawa banner. Hideyoshi died four years later (1598), and six years later (1600) was the battle of Guan Zhiyuan. It is mentioned in "History of Japanese Domains" that before the war, Guan Zhiyuan Ieyasu asked Zongjuzongyan and his son to return to Nara to convene the old Gu to meet the enemy [5]. Considering that the original territory of the Yagyu family was in the ancient capital of Nara, right between Kyoto and Osaka. The Yagyu family was able to stand out among many schools, not only by virtue of swordsmanship, but also by other political and strategic factors.

The Yagyu family is sociable. Regardless of the "no sword to take", Tokugawa Ieyasu did sign the introduction letter of the new Yinliu in the third year of Bunroku (1594). Interestingly, in the archives that remain today, Mori Terumoto was awarded the Yagyu New Yinryu Catalogue the following year [6]. Mori Terumoto and Tokugawa Ieyasu are the five elders of the Toyotomi regime. In the battle of Guan Zhiyuan, Mori was the general of the Western Army, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was the commander of the Eastern Army.

In the 13th year of Kanei (1627), Yagyu Soju became the daimyo of the 10,000 stones he received. In addition to the military teacher of the second-generation general Tokugawa Hidetada, he was also entrusted with the post of "Great Inspector" to supervise Makusei and the daimyo of various countries [7]. In many of today's creations, the images of the Yagyu family's ninjas and spies must also come from This [8]. Aside from political factors, the Liuyu family has become a famous name through martial arts, which can be said to realize the dream of martial arts practitioners to make a name for themselves. From the development of its genre, we can also glimpse the development of martial arts in the Edo period.

The Development of Martial Arts in the Middle Edo Period

The author mentioned in the article of Nikaidou Heifa that Yagyu Jubei (son of Zongju) once said that there are three kinds of esoteric grants: “Golden Xu, Yoshiri Xu, and Shu Xu”. Jinxu means giving enough money; technique means that technology is good enough; righteousness means that it’s hard to refuse. This form of teaching became more common after the mid-Edo period [9].

"Fencing Conversation" contains the story of a disciple of Yagyumen Zhuang Tian Xibingwei who has a dream and comprehends the profound meaning of spear art, but his spear art has been lost because no one has inherited it. The book commented that this is because his spear skills were obtained from dreams, and naturally, no one else could have a glimpse of the mystery. There are many possibilities for spear art to be lost. However, it can be seen from the author's comments that at that time (the mid-Edo period) more emphasis was placed on Taoism and rhythm, and it was no longer an era when one could create an original school [10].

With the times, there is still the focus of martial arts training. Martial arts training in the Chenghei period naturally did not hurt the muscles and bones. After the middle of the Edo period, bamboo swords and early kendo armors became more and more popular, and the training methods of swordsmanship also began to be different. Today, Yanagyu Xinyin-ryu's "Trial and Harmony of Situation Method" was compiled in response to the practice of bamboo swords at that time. According to records, there were more than 200 branches before and after [11].

After all, the development of martial arts schools cannot be separated from the current social conditions. With the different times, it is natural for each school to change the focus and form of professors. The author mentioned in Kunai Yoshiya 's article that Japan once banned martial arts practice and teaching after the war. Therefore, most of today's ancient martial arts in Japan emphasize the benefits of martial arts practice on physical and mental health, and pay attention to etiquette and order. The genre overtly emphasizes combat and lethal technology. This is not so much formalism, but rather a clear grasp of the pulse of the times.

Of course, there are always exceptions, the spy image of the Yagyu family mentioned in the previous paragraph is an example. In Kazuo Koike's "Taipei Wolf" manga, there is the creation of the "Sarayagyu" group. It means that the Yagyu family, in addition to being a samurai on the surface, also has a behind-the-scenes ninja and spy group, and uses various unscrupulous and inhumane ways to interfere and manipulate the administration.

This is naturally the creation of a cartoonist. However, in recent years, there has been a school that claims to be the new generation of the Shinyin, claiming that this school is the "Sarayagyu" that is active under this dark curtain. It inherits various "techniques under the dark curtain" such as assassination and espionage, which makes people wonder what kind of students the school wants to attract and what kind of disciples it intends to cultivate.

The wheel of the times

Since the clan was the general's swordsman instructor, he was also a daimyo. The Yagyu Shininyu River was the dominant force in the Edo period. However, after the Meiji period, it was no match for the torrent of the times. In the second year of the Meiji era, the last generation of the Yagyu family, Yagyu Toshiyoshi, returned the book (the territory was handed over to the emperor) and became the governor of the Yagyu domain. In the fourth year of the Meiji era, the Meiji government abolished the various feudal lands in Japan.

The Yagyu family was divided into Edo (Yamato) Yagyu and Owari Yagyu after Zongju. Today, organizations such as Nagoya Chunfukan and Shininyu Yagyu Association are the inheritance of Owari Yagyu. Edo Yagyu returned to Nara after the abolition of the clan in the Meiji era, gradually fading from the surface of Yagyu's Shinin-ryu heritage. Times have changed, and even Zeng Gui, the general's swordsman guide, has to learn to keep a low profile. And the once low-key, will start to be high-profile.

Today, the official website of "Yagyu Shinyin Liu Art of War" of the Yagyu Association can be found that the Taoist theory of the Yagyu Association is very interesting. The society emphasized that the first-generation head of Owari Liusheng was the grandson of Zongyan, and the founder of Edo Yagyu, Yagyu Zongju, was the fifth son of Yagyu Zongyan. Although there is no explicit statement, the implication is that "Owari Yagyu is the real direct descendant [13]". On the other hand, Ryuo Akabane, a member of the Chunpukan system, wrote books and articles, explaining that the Chunpukan dojo actually brought together the inheritance of Edo Yagyu, Owari Yagyu and even Keita Keikan [14]. Well, isn't that the case?

Pulling away, let's go back to the anecdote of taking without a knife.

In Yanagyu Zongju's "The Book of the Art of War" "No Swords Volume", it is written that "Capturing a sword is not a technique or performance, but an exercise to deal with the enemy without a sword in hand [15]." Considering the time The situation in which the Yagyu family's territory was seized, as well as the rumors that Toyotomi Hideji, Tokugawa Ieyasu and others had heard the rumors of taking the sword or not. The propaganda effect of this "secret" is naturally great, but I don't know when these rumors started. In the martial arts biographies of the Edo period, such as "Ben Dynasty Wushu Biography" and "Fencing Conversation", there is no mention of Zongyan's demonstration of taking no sword in front of Ieyasu [16]. Although today’s reference to Yanagyu Shinyin-ryu will mostly talk about this anecdote, considering that the “Fencing Conversation” even includes the anecdote of Zongju raising apes[17] The technical details are probably too professional to be listed as the focus.

This article is simultaneously published in the author's square column


Notes:

[1] Refer to Yanchun Yagyu's "Yagyu Shinyin Ryudo Eyes" P16, Akabane Ryuo "Yagyu Shinyin Ryu: History, Thought, Technique, Body" P12

[2] On the grounds of his old age, Zongju Yangyu sent his son, Zongju, to the Tokugawa family. Zongju was also the swordsman instructor of Iamitsu Tokugawa (the third-generation general). Today, the Yagyu family still retains a copy of the swordsman that was presented to the eleventh generation of generals. A biography of the swordsmanship of the Tokugawa family. According to Akabane Ryūo's "Yagyu Shinin-ryu: History, Thought, Technique, and Body", until the last generation of generals Tokugawa Kiyoshi, most of the generals of all dynasties had practiced the Yagyu-shin-yin-ryu. Refer to Akabane Ryuo's "Yagyu Shininyu: History, Thought, Technique, Body" pp136-138

[3] Refer to Shunji Kitagawa's "History of Japanese Domains", Volume 6 "Yagyu Clan"

[4] For Tokugawa Ieyasu's comments on Keita Keikan, please refer to Akabane Ryuo's "Study on the New Yin Liu (The Legend of Kaida)"; in addition, because Keita Kee has taught Tokugawa Hidetada (son of Keitaa) swordsmanship, Ieyasu's comments are average It is believed to be a rumor spread by people at the time.

[5] Refer to Shunzhi Beichuan's "History of Japanese Domains", Volume 6 "Yagyu Clan". In addition, in the 18th year of Tensho (1590), the territory of Yagyu originally located in the Yagyu area of Nara was confiscated because it was found that there were hidden fields (fields that did not pay annual tribute). Later, through the introduction of Kuroda Nagamasa, he got on the line with Tokugawa Ieyasu. After the Battle of Sekihara, the Yagyu family wealth was finally taken back to Nara's territory.

[6] For related literature, please refer to Ben Lin Yifan's "Liushengzong Yan's Art of War Biography"

[7] Refer to Yanchun Yanagyu's "Yagyu Xinyin Liu Daoyan" p16

[8] For example, in Kazuo Koike's "The Sash Wolf", there is a setting of "Yagyu", which means that in addition to being a samurai in the name, the Yagyu family also controls an underground spy and ninja group, who are behind the scenes to manipulate the shogunate .

[9] Nishiyama thinks that Yagyu Jubei's practice of "three links" foreshadows the formalization of martial arts inheritance after the mid-Edo period. Refer to Matsunosuke Nishiyama's "Research on Jiayuan" p283

[10] Refer to the section "Zhuang Tianliu" in "Fencing Cong Talks".

[11] Refer to Akabane Ryūo's "Yagyu Shinyin Ryu: History, Thought, Technique, Body" p62. In addition, it seems that not all of these dharmas have been passed down today. Taking Nagoya Chunfengkan as an example, the only public teachings of the gymnasium are the upper and middle sections of nineteen stances.

[12] Refer to the blog of Tenshinryu Formula, <Tina Liusheng について>, original website: http://tenshinryu.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-99.html . Access date: 2022/07/04. It is said in the article that the former clan of this school used "Sarayagyu" as an example to explain why there is no existing historical data for this school, and why the "type" of this school is so special. The historical origin of Tianxinliu is actually quite controversial in Japan. However, the origins of various schools in Japan are originally connected with many places. The focus of a school lies in the concepts and skills it is currently teaching. Therefore, the main controversy of Tianxinliu is still elsewhere, and the related issues are more complicated. The author intends to open a separate article to discuss it.

[13] The first generation of Owari Ryusuke is Ryugao Riyan, the grandson of Ryuyu Zongyan. There are few records of Zongyan's direct son, Yansheng, who was wounded in the battlefield. Liu Yuhui did not claim on the website that Owari Liusheng was the real heir, but specifically named Zongju not the heir. For relevant information, please refer to the "Yagyu Shinkage Dao System" section of the Yagyu Shinkage Art of War website of the Yagyu Society, dated 2022/6/26, website: https://yagyu-shinkage-ryu.jp/?page_id=391

[14] Refer to Akabane Ryuo's book "Yagyu Xinyinyu: History, Thought, Technique, Body" pp22-25, Akabane Ryuo's "Study of Xinyinyu (開田伝)"

[15] Quoted from Liu Shengzongyan's "The Art of War", the original text is "People's Swords Take るを, Yun とする道にてはなし, われ Swordsman をなき Shi にren にきられまじきUse の Xi also." The author translates by himself. In addition, it is written in the book that it doesn't matter if you don't take the knife off. If the opponent starts to take precautions, thinking about not letting the sword be taken away, he will also have scruples when attacking.

[16] "Ben Dynasty's Wushu Biography" only mentions "Swordsmanship" (demonstration of martial arts and martial arts); "Fencing Cong Tan" does not mention Ieyasu Zhaozong Yan and his son's demonstration of martial arts, "Martial Arts Liu Zuzhuan" and "Ben Dynasty Wushu Biography" Said the same.

[17] Refer to the "Yagyu Ryu" section of "Fencing Conversation".