Sosuishi ryu

Sōsuishi-ryū 双水執流 is a traditional Japanese martial art founded in 1650, a bujutsu school that focuses on Kumi Uchi (jujutsu) and Koshi no Mawari (iaijutsu and kenjutsu). The title of the school is formally Sōsuishi-ryū Kumi Uchi Koshi No Mawari (双水執流組討腰之廻) as shown in a Showa 16 (1941) hand-written book "Sōsuishi no ryū" (双水ノ流) by Shitama Shusaku (Shuzo). In the Bugei Ryūha Daijiten, Sōsuishi-ryū is cross referenced and listed under the entry/title of "Futagami-ryū," including a brief synopsis of the school.

History of Sōsuishi-ryū

The simple legend

The founding of Sōsuishi-ryū dates back to Futagami Hannosuke Masaaki in 1650 CE. He was a district samurai living in the area of Bungo-Takeda, which was in the domain of Kuroda during the era called Sho-o. (now present day Oita and Fukuoka). Masaaki, was a practitioner of his family martial art Futagami-ryū and a high-level student of Takenouchi-ryū under Hisamori Takenouchi. He felt the techniques of Futagami-ryū were imperfected, so in order to improve them he decided to travel all over Japan and train himself by going on a pilgrimage (Musha Shugyo). At one point he went deep into the mountainous, rugged valley of Mt.Yoshino, where for thirty-seven days he trained and sought enlightenment. He refined the finer points of the technique of Futagami-ryū and honed the secret teachings that he had studied. He then assembled them into what he believed were the best of everything he had learned. One day, while he was gazing at the Yoshino river, he noticed the water flowing and swirling together steadily. The training of his mind, body and spirit converged at that one moment. This event, called satori in Japanese, prompted him to change the name of Futagami-ryū to Sōsuishi-ryū in remembrance of his experiences at the Yoshino River.

A Problematic Timeline

According to the above legend, Sosuishiryu’s founder Hannosuke Futagami was a direct student of the founder of Takenouchi ryu, Hisamori Takenouchi. However, there are some problems as the timeline does not match the legend. Namely: 1) According to the Futagami family tree Hannosuke and his father Tokinari were warriors from the Fukuoka area who took part in the battle of Shimabara during Kanei year 14 (1637). Tokinari died in the battle during January of Kanei year 15 (1638) at age 70. Hannosuke was still alive but injured in the same time period . 2) After the war Hannosuke moved back to Fukuoka for an unknown period of time, where he built a temple in honor of his father, Tokinari. Here it is recorded that Hannosuke died on January the 5th of Genroku year 6 (1693) at the beginning of the Edo era, 78 years after the Keicho era had ended. 3) Based on the date of his death, it is safe to say that Hannosuke was born just before or right after the Keicho era, considering the average lifespan of a person from that time. 4) In contrast to this, Takenouchi ryu’s founder Takenouchi Hisamori died in Bunroku year 4 (1595). This places Hisamori Takenouchi’s death before Hannosuke Futagami was born or when Hannosuke was no more than a few years old. Even if Hisamori’s date of death is incorrect and he lived longer than the average person, it seems physically impossible for Hannosuke to have been his student.

In contrast to this, Takenouchi ryu lists the name “Futagami” as a direct student of Takenouchi Hisamori. It also lists Takenouchi ryu and Futagami ryu as the martial schools he was master of. However, listed under “Futagami” is the name “Hannosuke” and the martial art he founded, “Sosuishiryu”. The “Futagami” recorded here as the student of Hisamori is Hannosuke’s father, Tokinari.

So, from this piece of evidence it is apperant that Tokinari Futagami was the direct student of Hisamori Takenouchi. Hannosuke Futagami was not Hisamori Takenouchi’s student but in fact a disciple of his father. Somewhere along the line, the two names were confused and the facts merged into one “enigma”.

Hannosuke Futagami

Upon returning from the battle of Shimabara to Fukuoka, Hannosuke was employed as an “Umamawari” (a type of bodyguard). According to the government records of the Fukuoka ward during the Kanbun era, Futagami Hannosuke (Kutayu) is listed as under the employment of a one Kobayashi Shirozaemon-kumi, (a high-rank bushi with a 200-koku income), as an Umamawari. He was dispatched to protect high-ranking officials living in or traveling through the area.

In Enpo year 3 (1675) the “Torenji Domain” was renamed the “Nogata Domain” as an extended area under the control of the Fukuoka Domain. It was at this time that Itami Kurozaemon,” a “karo” (chief retainer) of the Fukuoka Domain with more than a thousand koku, relocated there from Fukuoka along with many other samurai. This included Tashiro Seijiro, who succeeded as the second generation in Kanbun year 6 (1666).

In Hannosuke’s “Monjin-cho” (notebook of his students) the name “Itami Kurozaemon” appears, meaning that Itami was a student and perhaps a patron of Hannosuke’s. In the Fukuoka Sekiryukan’s “A Brief History of Sosuishi ryu” it states that the school was established at the beginning of Edo period, during the Sho-o era (1652-1654) under the reign of shogun Ietsuna Tokugawa. It also says that “During the Sho-o era (Hannosuke) came to Chikuzen-Nogata with the support of Shitama Matashichi and he stayed with him.”

As mentioned previously the name of the domain at this time was “Torenji” and duriung those dates, the Nogata Domain did not exist yet. So this “Chikuzen Nogata” probably infers that Hannosuke stayed in/around Torenji Domain before the area was renamed. Regardless of whether or not Futagami Hannosuke was in the Nogata during the Sho-o era, it is known that he spent 38 years of his life in the Fukuoka area from Kanei year 14 (1637) until Enpo year 3 (1675).

A Basic Outline of Events

Hannosuke returned to Fukuoka from Shimabara (Nagasaki) when his father Tokinari died in Kanei year 15 (1638). He healed his injuries and began working at a new career as an Umamawari under the new government. Then around the Sho-o era he left Fukuoka for training. On his return home from training he met Matashichi Shitama who invited Hannosuke to Nogata, where he temporarily relocated. Hannosuke then changed the name of Futagami ryu to Sosuishiryu and was summoned to serve in the Bungo-Mori Domain under the Kurushima Clan. When Hannosuke was released from his service, the person known as Futagami Hannosuke Masaaki (also as Yosh-shige, Shichitayu, Kutayu and Kurouemon) moved back to Bungo-Takeda and died on January 5, Genroku year 6 (1693) and was buried with the Buddhist homyo “ (a name given by a Buddhist monk when you die) “Baio Kyohaku”.

The Shitama Family

Shitama Matashichi was a samurai originally from the Bungo-Takeda and a friend to Futagami Hannosuke Masaaki and extended an invitation to him to come and stay in Chikuzen (Nagota area). DUring this time, Masaaki taught his new school "Sōsuishi-ryū" to Matahachi. Since this turn of events, Sosuishi-ryū has been handed down and instructed by the Shitama family. On the five occasions where the Shitama family were unable to head the school, the ryū had to be looked after by another until a male heir, bearing the Shitama name, could step in and inherit it. On occasion a "yoshi" or "adopted son" from outside the family would be brought in to marry one of the daughters or cousins who had the surname "Shitama" in order to continue the lineage. After marriage the yoshi would change their surnname to the wife's surname and inherit the ryū, continuing the family bloodline for the next generation. The art and family line continues in Fukuoka city today at the Sekiryukan.

Matsui Hyakutaro Munetada

In 1881, a Menkyo Kaiden of Sōsuishi-ryū moved to Tokyo and began teaching the martial arts to the Akasuka Police in Tokyo. His name was Matsui Hyakutaro Munetada. He was born native to Kyūshū, Japan in Fukuoka on February of Meiji year 1 (1868). As a boy he was fascinated with the martial arts and his family recognized this and sent him to train with his uncle Matsui Kokichi, a Shingen No Maki (similar to Menkyo Kaiden) and direct student of Sōsuishi-ryū under 11th generation inheritor Shitama Munetsuna. In Meiji year 13 (1881) Munetada also began training under Tekigo Hiji and received a Shingen No Maki in Sōsuishi-ryū. In Meiji year 20 (1887), when he was 19 years old, Munetada completed the Senbondori (1000 matches) in Fukuoka. In the following year Meiji year 21 (1888), the Metropolitan Police Board invited Munetada a position training the officers of the Akasaka Police. He moved to Tokyo that year and began work immediately. In Meiji year 38 (1905), he was given "Seiren sho" (recognition of good training/work) and then was awarded "Yoshi-go" (head-instructor title) in June of Meiji year 42 (1909).He ramained in his position for 30 years, until retirement. Afterwards he dedicated himself to Seifukuutsu and opened a private dōjō, the Shobukan in Fukuyoshi-cho, Akasaka to teach martial arts. The Butokukai awarded the title of Hanshi to him during May of Showa year 2 (1927). His line of Sōsuishi-ryū is called the "Matsui-ha" and it continues in Tokyo today.

Sōsuishi-ryū in Fukuoka

The Sekiryūkan

The following is an excerpt taken directly from the Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan website:

Throughout its history, a decline in the popularity of Sōsuishi-ryū has often posed a real threat to its survival. However, the inheritors have always prevented this by learning and incorporating other techniques and theories such as Ogasawara-ryū and Kyūshin-ryū, so that the tradition remains alive and relevant, and that the technique of Sōsuishi-ryū is continuously developed. Today, this responsiveness to alternative disciplines is still maintained by the current 16th Master, Manzo Shitama, ensuring that Sōsuishi-ryū technique continues to evolve. The legacy of Sōsuishi-ryū from past masters comprises such a vast and complicated array of techniques that it is nowadays simplified to make it easier to learn. This was initiated by the 15th Master Shusaku Shitama, to make Sōsuishi-ryū accessible to as many people as possible, in recognition of increasing popular interest in classical martial arts.

Sōsuishi-ryū in Tokyo

Matsui-ha Sōsuishi-ryū

The Seirenkan (清漣館道場) is the dojo which maintains the Matsui- ha lineage with a hombu dōjō in Tokyo Japan led by Yoshihiko Usuki.

Edo-den Sosuishiryu Kogusoku Koshi No Mawari

A school that branched away from the Matsui-ha, led by Manabu Ito in Tokyo. The Kosonkai performs demonstrations at the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai embutaikai circuit.

Techniques and Characteristics

The techniques of Sōsuishi-ryū correspond with other ryūha founded during the Keicho and the early Edo period of Japan. For example: atemi (striking) is used to distract the enemy; a lack of overly complex joint locking techniques; weapons retention techniques (including the use of both long and short swords); defenses against armed and unarmed enemies; and the use of defensive and offensive tactics. There are several basic and advanced techniques in Sōsuishi-ryū ,such as atemi, ukemi, tai-sabaki, kansetsu-waza and nage-waza. Some aspects are almost identical and directly correlate to those found in Takenouchi-ryū such as: torite, hade, kogusoku and kumi-uchi.

The kata in Sōsuishi-ryū encourages the practicioners to not only practice defensive tactics as the defender (ware or tori), but to also offensive and sometimes predatory tactics are used against the "attacker" (teki or uke). This method of learning is intended to create a heightened sensitivity, augmenting the awareness of body language and openings when attacking or defending.

Within the Sekiryūkan, the Sōsuishi-ryū syllabus consists of forty eight kumi-uchi kata, divided into five skill sets: Idori (seated methods) (居捕)- 8 techniques; Tai-Toshu (unarmed methods) (対通手)- 8 techniques with variations (henka waza); Yotsu-Gumi (armored methods) (四組) - 8 techniques; Tai-Kodachi (short-sword methods) (対小太刀) - 8 techniques; and Sonota (others) (其他) - 7 techniques. In addition to its repertoire of close combat methods, the tradition also contains a number of iai and kenjutsu techniques contained under the collective umbrella term, Koshi No Mawari (腰之廻) making the ryūha a sōgō bujutsu (総合武術) or "Comprehensive martial art".

Koshi No Mawari means "Around the hips" when translated into English. It refers to the concept that anything expedient around the area of the hips can be used as a weapon. As with most koryū, this would commonly be a kodachi (short-sword) or an uchigatana/katana (long-sword), however upon exploring this concept, other weapons and objects can be utilized. In the koshi no mawari syllabus, there are also three sets of kenjutsu kumitachi taught at higher levels.

Locations

There are locations for Sōsuishi-ryū inside and outside of Japan:

Sōsuishi-ryū in Japan

Today, Sōsuishi-ryū has three schools in Japan. The main line of Sōsuishi-ryū is practiced at the Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan (社団法人隻流館). This is the hombu (本部) dōjō (home dōjō) of the ryu and it is located in Fukuoka, Japan. It is headed by the current hereditary shihan (head teacher) of the ryu, Manzo Shitama. The Seirenkan (清漣館道場) practices Matsui-ha Sōsuishi-ryū and has a hombu dōjō in Tokyo, Japan led by Yoshihiko Usuki. The Kosonkai, teaching what is formally named Edo-den Sosuishiryu Kogusoku Koshi No Mawari (which is also from the Matsui-ha lineage), is led by Manabu Ito with a hombu dōjō in Tokyo as well. The Kosonkai performs demonstrations at the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai embutaikai circuit. While these schools practice independently of one another, they maintain a respectful relationship. Manabu Ito and Yoshihiko Usuki have traveled to the Sekiryukan to train with Shitama Sensei and view Manzo Shitama as the hereditary Shihan of Sōsuishi-ryū.

Sōsuishi-ryū Outside of Japan

International Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan branch schools (Sōsuishi-ryū Jujutsu Kai) are located in the New South Wales area of Australia under Pat Harrington & Betty Huxley ; the United States is led by Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan International Director and Menkyo Kaiden, Dennis Fink in the states of New York and Washington; The Seirenkan dōjō is led by Yoshihiko Usuki and are located in the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Kuwana; Seirenkan International branch schools are located in Singapore, Italy, the United Kingdom in the city of London and in the United States in Chicago, Illinois & North Carolina. The Kosonkai Dojo led by Manabu Ito has no international schools and is located solely in Tokyo, Japan.

Demonstrations

Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan:

Shitama Manzo & Yoshimura Masanobu

• Sōsuishi-ryū Kumi Uchi

Shitama Shuzo

• Sōsuishi-ryū Koshi no Mawari

Seirenkan, Tokyo (Matsui-ha):

• Idori
• Koshi-no-mawari
• Kumi-uchi
• Matsui-ha Sōsuishi-ryū Taijutsu
• Tai-kodachi
• Tai-toshu

External links

• Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan
• Sōsuishi-ryū, Australia
• Sōsuishi-ryū Jūjutsu Kai
• Matsui-ha Sōsuishi-ryū Kumi Uchi Koshi no Mawari Japanese site
• Matsui-ha Sōsuishi-ryū Kumi Uchi Koshi no Mawari English Mirror site

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