Goshinjutsu Origins
Goshinjutsu History Part 1
This trace of goshinjutsu through history is my own interpretation based on the many books I have sitting on the shelves. Much of the following information is to give a flavour of the martial background and is a general jujitsu history lesson drawn from many books and is briefly repeated here – a bibliography is available elsewhere. Naturally, there will always be differences of opinion on certain historical facts and dates.
Basically of japanese development, the core base of goshinjutsu has always been ju-jutsu, pronounced ‘joo-joots’ and in it’s romaji form may also be seen spelt as it is heard colloquially – jujitsu or jiu-jitsu. Is not an easy martial art to trace the history of, compared with other well known and perhaps more modern martial arts or ways. Continuous wars through the centuries have caused much destruction of informative documentation and sworn secrecy within the schools kept information from the general populace.
Whilst the various forms of combat were proliferating and becoming systematised, chu’an fa (kempo) in China, te in Okinawa, the situation in Japan was altogether different. In the early periods of Japanese history, towards the end of the Han period in China (c.AD220), we find evidence of a fighting method that included kicking techniques. Known as chikara kurabe, this was a relatively unsophisticated art, relying to a large degree on brute strength.
There were originally no restraints using techniques or tactics and fights often ended in death. Chikara kurabe was practised for employment on the battlefield and naturally the development of armour served to render many of the techniques useless.
From all the archaeological findings, it is undeniable that wrestling was probably one of the oldest forms of unarmed combat the human species ever adopted. The steady progress of this fighting art has not been forgotten and in China, like all other Chinese martial arts, it was gradually becoming more popular among common people rather than with the military.
The names and rules had been varied during the period of its evolution. As it was believed to have evolved through the charging actions of two deer with their horns, the name was first recorded as JIADO-DI “the horned confrontation”. It was because the methods of enduring at that time were purely physical, it was also known as JIA-LI ” horned muscular game”.
At the time of the Zhou dynasty (1122 BC), it had become a major training program inside the army. The game had developed into a more skilful fighting art. Recent Chinese historians argued that at the beginning, competitors wore traditional costumes to take part. The old book of ‘FuYan’ mentioned how wrestlers gripped and held each other’s clothing.
Therefore they stated that the game of JIAO-DI was later developed to another version of wrestling called XIANG-BO. This sport did not allow competitors to wear any ornamental pieces so foul play could be prevented. Since there were no collars or sleeves to be gripped, participants could only rely on tripping and throwing techniques. The main factor of winning relied heavily on the weight and size of the individual.
In Japan, there is mention of Sumo being active as far back as 23 BC in one of the old chronicles of Japan, the Nihon Sho-ki. On the other hand, the fully clothed JIAO-DI version is attributed to a Shaolin martial artist Cheng Yuan Yun bringing it over to Japan around 1629 AD. It was then claimed to contribute to the content of one or more of the old style Japanese martial arts of jujutsu.
With the wearing of armour in Japan, the employment of simple grappling methods became more effective than atemi-type attacks (punches, kicks, etc.) The grappling methods that evolved were termed yoroi kumi-uchi (wrestling in armour) and although they did employ the use of striking techniques, these tended to be made with minor weapons rather than with bare hands and feet.
The utilisation of yoroi kumi-uchi itself was only a tactic, a means to an end. The main aim was to place the opponent in a disadvantageous position so that a short bladed weapon such as a yoroi-doshi could be thrust through a weak place in his armour.
These original concepts can be found in the execution of koshiki-no-kata, derived from the Kito school of Jujutsu. In the correct application of this kata the exponents should wear armour! When it is performed in hakama or gi, the movements are kept fairly rigid to reflect the image of feudal combat.
Another factor that weighed heavily against the popularity of unarmed combat was the strict code of ethics, which had evolved by the middle ages. This code normally determined the staging and procedure of combat between opposing factions. The implication being that fighting without weapons was simply common brawling and was therefore beneath the dignity and station of the Samurai warrior. The classical warrior was required to be well armed and trained in the use of weapons, and the wearing of armour made hand or foot attacks fairly ineffective and more likely to result in injury to the attacker rather than to the intended foe.
The idea that many styles, such as Karate, have a long ancestry or have direct connections with the Samurai is therefore possibly erroneous. Actual “empty hand” methods of combat were only formally introduced into the martial ryu in the mid-16th century as the wearing of armour became more infrequent.
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