Powerful 1st strike of Jigen-ryu

Makoto Miyazaki
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Publication Date : 09-07-2008




Jigen-ryu is a school of swordsmanship founded in the late 16th century by Togo Chui in Satsuma domain, today's Kagoshima Prefecture.

Jigen-ryu places importance on the first sword strike, which must be extraordinarily fast and powerful in order to defeat opponents. Jigen-ryu teachings state that a second strike is not even to be considered.

Because of the relentless nature of sword combat techniques of Jigen-ryu, warriors of the Tokugawa Shogunate were said to be fearful of fighting swordsmen from the Satsuma clan, a powerful anti-shogunate force at the end of the Edo period (1603-1867).

Kondo Isami, leader of the Shinsengumi, the shogunate's special police force, is reported to have said, "Avoid by any means the first blow of a Satsuma warrior's sword."

The first sword blow of a Jigen-ryu swordsman was aimed at incapacitating an opponent. It was taught through a training method called tategi-uchi (pole striking).

Jigen-ryu students practice by repeatedly attacking a wooden pole (tategi) that is fixed firm vertically into the floor of a practice hall. The hall has a floor of hard-packed earth instead of wooden flooring.

The trainee, from a distance of five to six meters from the pole, raises his wooden sword to a height suitable to hit an opponent. This is the school's fundamental fighting stance known as tombo-gamae (dragonfly style).

Next, the student approaches the pole and strikes it repeatedly on either side with a kesagiri (a downward diagonal cut). The attack is accompanied by loud cries of "Ei!"

As tategi-uchi training continues, trainees' cries and the sounds of the wooden swords hitting the pole seems to shake the entire practice hall.

During the Edo period, adepts of Jigen-ryu supposedly were encouraged to strike the pole 3,000 times in the morning, and another 8,000 times in the afternoon.

As training continues, the pole, which has already been worn down by the strikes, begins to smell like charred wood.

Despite the harshness of Jigen-ryu swordsmanship, spiritual teachings of the school have remained intact for centuries.

For example, some of Jigen-ryu's teachings state: One should never draw one's sword in principle; never say anything rude to others; be polite; do not practice in public; and be proud, but never boast of Jigen-ryu skills.

In ancient times, Jigen-ryu was strictly banned to outsiders. Those outside the school were not allowed to watch a training session, and membership of the school was highly selective. Even female members of the Togo family, descendants of Jigen-ryu's founder, were prohibited from entering the practice hall.

Today, anybody can learn the art at the Jigen-ryu practice hall in the city of Kagoshima. Jigen-ryu is only taught at the Kagoshima practice hall, and thus students come from all over Japan and also from abroad to learn.

The Jigen-ryu Archive, adjacent to the practice hall, displays many items portraying the history of Jigen-ryu.

Shigenori Togo, 12th generation headmaster of Jigen-ryu, said, "We hope the introductory training session at the practice hall and the Jigen-ryu Archive will introduce people to Jigen-ryu's history."