Goshinjutsu History Part 3
Goshinjutsu History Continued Part 3
It was during this era in which classical combative skills were declining that the martial ways (budo) came to assume a more important position. The emphasis shifted to the desire for self-perfection adopting a greater position than just the simple need for self-protection.
A succession of Tokugawa Shoguns (military dictators) maintained their strength of position in the face of less effective opposition, further weakening the martial ethic. In some instances the Bushi were forbidden to practise the martial arts – training in the arts of poetry and the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu) were substituted as more fitting.
There seems little doubt however, that the death-knell of the classical warrior was sounded by the introduction of firearms. It became possible to equip and train commoners with muskets in a far shorter time than that required to prepare the martial skills of the Bushi who had spent years perfecting an expertise with spear, sword and dagger, essentially designed for close quarter confrontation.
This technological advance meant the classically trained Samurai warrior who valued honour and bravery above most things had not even the chance to employ his skills – he was simply slaughtered at long range!
This started in the 16th century when guns were introduced into Japan in 1543 quite innocently by Diego Zeimoto, a member of the Portuguese trading party of Fernam Mendez Pinto that arrived at the port of Tanegashima after which the guns were named. Pinto is one of the first recorded European visitors to Japan.
When Pinto departed the islands five and a half months later skilled Japanese armament makers had already produced six hundred copies of the matchlocks, also called “Hinawaju” literally fire rope gun.
When he returned to Japan in 1556 as the ambassador from the Portuguese Viceroy Don Alonso de Noronha, 300,000 were in existence.
Although the gun played a major role in Japanese history both at Nagashino and the battle of Sekigahara, which established the Tokugawa shogunate, it never advanced much beyond the matchlock design introduced by the 16th century Portuguese visitors.
These two main factors – the availability of firearms and the deliberate policy of promoting the decay of the classical martial arts – combined to hasten the metamorphosis of bu-jutsu into budo. That change, together with the downgrading of the use of classical weapons as in the banning of the wearing of swords by the warrior class with the restoration of Japan in 1867, helped to ensure the growth and proliferation of unarmed combat systems. Many of the older schools such as Kito Ryu and Tenjin Shin-yo Ryu attained greater recognition. The development of Jujutsu was directed towards dealing with everyday encounters rather than battlefield situations, and was available to both public and warrior alike.
From the late Edo period, commoners, without the true military experience or martial knowledge that was inherent to the Samurai class, developed many styles of Jujutsu. These exponents were often employed by drinking classes and other establishments in red light districts to eject troublesome Samurai and other rowdies, or to obtain money from those reluctant to pay for services rendered.
By the Meiji era many Jujutsu systems were available to anyone who wanted to study the skills, unlike the traditional ryu which selected the students for their dedication, attitude and sense of moral responsibility.
Unfortunately, because of this development, thugs used Jujutsu skills for street brawls, extortion and wanton violence. Thus, in the eyes of the public, Jujutsu gained a bad reputation – which was to be later placated by the ideals set out in Judo, Aikido and Karate-do.
There were many hundreds of Jujutsu styles in existence throughout Japan’s late history, most of which vanished into extinction. Today, only a few of the classical Jujutsu styles of the warrior class exist, as do the later schools of the common people.
It should also be appreciated that at the turn of the century, many Japanese travelled to the western world carrying these Jujutsu styles, but to please the occidentals they adapted the teachings – therefore the style became modified and not representative of the true style maintained in Japan.
It is reasonable to say that of the many styles practised in the west that purport to trace their lineage back to Japanese origins, probably only a few resemble the original style that existed or exist in the ryu of Japan.
Modern forms of self-defence and unarmed combat that use the term “Jujutsu” do not really refer to the early styles of Japan – they are really no more than a generic trade name. This does not demean their content, which must be judged case by case. Times move on and combat systems evolve to suit the society, clothes and weapons of the time.
Unarmed combat deals with the human form of one head, two arms, two legs which has not changed for hundreds of thousands of years. Continual reference should be made to the older styles for tried and tested techniques and philosophical guidance hidden within the teachings of the schools, balanced with modern scientific application and learning.
Today, there exist probably four main types of Jujutsu:
1. Methods of Yawara found in the syllabus of ancient styles of Japanese Bujutsu.
2. Old styles of jujutsu proper such as the Takenouchi Ryu, Yoshin Ryu and Ryoi Shinto Ryu.
3. Styles which make up modern jujutsu termed Nihon Goshin Jutsu. These are japanese systems of modern jujutsu derived from older styles and influenced by developments in judo, karate, aikido and other martial arts.
4. “Gaijin” Goshin Jutsu, is similar to the Nihon Goshin Jutsu except it is formulated by a non-Japanese.
Post-war British and American Jujutsu has struggled to create acknowledgement against other popular martial arts and is now becoming a growing art.
To be recognised for it’s all round real self-defence capabilities the syllabus must be quite rugged and work inside the dojo and outside in the streets. What is generally termed a reality based martial art.
I trained in the a form of goshinjutsu introduced into the British Isles from Japan by Oda Shosa Sensei in the 1960’s. Sensei (“one who has gone before, teacher”) is a respectful title acknowledging a Master or Teacher’s abilities. Oda Sensei was also skilled in Iaido (sword drawing) and Kembu (sword dancing), also in Shiatsu (treatment of body ailments through finger pressure to various parts of the body). He attained the teacher’s grade of 10th Dan, Hanshi – the highest grade obtainable – in Judo and Goshinjutsu. My teacher many years ago, Allan Fromm, 8th Dan, previously President of Seishin Budo and Director of Goshinjutsu with the Tokushima Budo Council, trained under Oda Shosa Sensei 10th Dan, also Abe Kenshiro Sensei 8th Dan and O-Tani Masutaro Sensei 8th Dan.
As with all serious martial artists, club yudansha endeavour to travel and attend seminars given by well known oriental and occidental masters of various styles, in order to gain broad exposure and learning of both traditional and modern practises. This in turn has led to many changes to our training syllabus as we find better ways of doing something. In reality we have moved a long way from these original teachings with traditional weapons from a past era.
Oriental martial arts have an underlying philosophy running through them, which provides the code of behaviour and often a way of daily life. We must be very careful when drawing together eclectic styles that at least some basic code of common sense philosophy accompanies the system.
As discussed later, while martial arts provide the self-defence techniques, it can also be an underlying vehicle to provide the training environment for the whole person in terms of spirit, emotion, fitness and character – to become a better person.
It is my personal opinion that martial arts must evolved with the times and the study of some weapon systems such as war fan or nunchuka may be a personal interest preference, bearing in mind the investment of learning time available in today’s busy world and the legal consequences of pre-meditated carrying such weapons.
A person joining the Armed Forces will not expect to learn about bows and arrows or muskets! Whilst they may be of legitimate historical interest the modern warrior needs to practise with modern weapons.
Similarly, the modern goshinjutsu trainee needs to practise techniques and situations in the dojo that will be also be effective in street self defence, NOT a showcase of visually pleasing techniques with a very helpful partner.
This does not mean that he turns his back on the traditional teachings handed down; rather they are examined and re-interpreted against the background of modern situations and method of dress.
An attack by hammer, machete, baseball bat or length of 2×2 can follow the same trajectory as a sword – but is NOT the SAME as a sword.
A knife or bayonet attack is timeless and is paralleled by the broken bottle.
In these cases it is viable to study and appreciate the use of these modern weapons before you can (try to!) apply realistic defences against the weapon.
The easy availability of handguns now leads to a very rare, but possible, weapon to be threatened with. This makes a suitable subject for study in absolute emergency situations when the weapon is in close proximity to the defender and the attacker looks like using it!
Some “jutsu” styles have been inbred with “do” thinking and association with Judo and sport applications – it never mentally leaves the dojo. Practise employs ’safe’ skills with lots of rules and disallowed techniques. Displayed techniques are sometimes (often) over elaborate and artistic with a small chance of real functionality under stress.
However, reality is out there and to this end I have no qualms about seeking out all functional principles and protective elements from any source and adding them to my repertoire of goshinjutsu – for when the words and bargaining fail, and running away is no longer an option.
As a system it isn’t restricted by rules that prohibit you from attacking the groin or the throat or the eyes, taking out the knee, or biting and strangling – though these are “pulled ” with control in practise and the legal side is again cautioned. This means resurrecting and practising with common sense the more dangerous skills, which in turn, brings back the necessity to have firm etiquette and discipline.
I must repeat, though, that it takes no martial art skill to go out and damage another human being – or be damaged by another human being. The real skill is to take all possible methods to avoid confrontation, but when this fails, to take out your aggressor quickly, cleanly and with minimum damage for the legal people to come back at you with claims.
Malcolm Keith
Chief Instructor
Youshiki Goshinjutsu
Japanese Historical Eras.
Nara AD 646 – 794
Heian 794 -1185
Kamakura 1185 -1336
Ashikaga (Muromachi) 1336 -1573
Sengoku 1482 -1558
Azuchi-Momoyama 1573 -1615
Edo (Tokugawa) 1615 -1867
Modern 1868 -
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