Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū
Kaˑshima Shinˑden Jikiˑshinˑkage-ryū (鹿島神傳直心影流), also known in short as Jikiˑshinˑkage-ryū (直心影流),is a koryu kenjutsu style first developed in the late Sengoku period in Japan.
It remains as one of the Japanese ancient martial arts styles that are still practiced to this day.
Loose translation of the name Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū is:
- Kashima = place in Japan where shrine is
- Shinden = handed down by the gods
- Jikishinkage = from the shadow of the heart
- ryū = school
History
The Jikishinkage-ryū style decends from the kenjutsu styles developed in the late Muromachi period which overlaps the early Sengoku period, or better dated as late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, at the Kashima Shrine by the founder Matsumoto Bizen-no-Kami Naokatsu (松本備前守尚勝, 1467-1524). The direct antecessors of the Jikishinkage-ryū style are the Shinkage-ryū (新影流) and the Kage-ryū styles.
Characteristics
The Jikishinkage-ryū style has many differences when compared to modern kendō. We can readily point out the different footwork and kiai:
- The unˑpō (運法) is the footwork used in the Jikishinkage-ryū style. Unlike the suriashi of modern kendo, it is stressed that both feet stay firmly planted on the ground at all times.
- The kiˑai (気合) consists not only of the shouting, like most martial arts, but of the proper way of inhaling and state of mind as well.
- The kamiˑhanˑen (上半円) and shimoˑhanˑen (下半円) (upper semicircle and lower semicircle, respectively) are unconventional waza of this style. Roughtly , the swordsman draws a semicircle (upwards or downwards) with both his left hand (holding the sword), and his right hand (free). He finishes the movement with his arms extended, the sword pointing upwards, and the free hand's index finger pointing downwards. These movements can be considered as a "greeting" and a form of meditation, and are usually executed in the beginning and end of a kata or suburi session. They represent all the things in heaven and all the things in earth, and the practicioner in the center of everything.
Jikishinkage-ryū exponents train with both odachi and kodachi (but not both at once).
Katas
The practice of jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu is composed of 5 katas:
Hōjō
The Hōjō kata is the first kata of the Jikishinkage-ryū style. It is the first taught to practitioners, and in some groups, the only one practiced. Both the shidachi and the uchidachi usually use wooden swords (bokken), although real swords (shinken) can be used as well.
The Houjou kata is composed of 4 Seasons, namely Spring (haru no tachi), Summer (natsu no tachi), Autumn (aki no tachi) and Winter (fuyu no tachi) in order of execution. Each season containing from 6-8 waza (movement). Before each season is executed the Kamiˑhanˑen, and after each season, the Shimoˑhanˑen.
Each season has a respective pace, reminiscent of the perceived characteristicts of that season. Thus, the waza of the Spring season are executed in a smooth and fast manner, accompained by loud kiais. Summer's movements are explosive and intense. Autumn has a varied pace, symbolizing change. Finally, Winter movements are slow, but firm. This is even more accentuated on the footwork of each season.
Both uchiˑtachi and shiˑtachi take on a stance in Spring and Autumn which is called nio dachi. This refers to the pair of guardian deities of Buddism called niˑo (仁王), which can be found as large statues at entrances of some of the ancient Japanese temples and shrines. The right statue is called Misshaku Kongo (密迹金剛) who has his mouth opened, this represents vocalization of the first character of Sanskrit which is pronounced 'a'. The left statue is called Naraen Kongo (那羅延金剛) who has his mouth closed, represents the vocalization of the last letter of Sanskrit which is pronounced 'um'. It is said that these two characters together symbolize the birth and death of all things, like we are born with 'a' and our mouth open and we die with 'um' and our mouth closed. Similar to 'alpha to omega' in Western philosophy, they signify 'everything' or 'all creation'. The stances and expressions of the statues, the sounds 'a' and 'um' and the symbolish behind this are very import in the Hōjō kata.
Tōnō
The Tōnō kata is the second kata of the Jikishinkage-ryū style. It is composed of 14 stages, divided in 6 groups (the first one with 4 stages, and the others with 2 each). Each stage has about 4 movements.
This kata is characterized by very fast waza. Both the uchidachi and the shidachi use bamboo swords (fukuro-jinai).
Kodachi
Habiki
Marubashi
This fifth kata used to be a secret kata. It is not clear when the secrecy was lifted but the kata is, like the other five, described with text and photographs in the book of Yamada Yoshioki that was publiseh in the early twentiest century.
List of representatives
- First Representative: Matsumoto Bizen-no-Kami Naokatsu (1467-1524)
- 2nd generation: Ise-no-Kami Kamiizumi(上泉伊勢守)
- 4th generation: (源信斎)
- 5th generation: (傳心斎)
- 7th generation: (一風斎)
- 13th generation: (男谷信友静斎)
- 14th generation: (榊原鍵吉)
- 15th generation: Yamada Yoshioki (山田 次朗吉)
Although Yamada Yoshioki left no official representatives after him, the style is still practiced to this day.
Present day practice
Places where groups practicing Jikishinkage-ryū can be found today:
- Japan
- Tōkyō
- Kōbe
- Czech Republic
- Prague
- Netherlands
- Utrecht
- Switzerland
- Aarau
- Basel
- La Chaux-de-Fonds
- Neuchâtel
- Zürich