The founder of this school, Izumo, learned Chinese Kempo
boxing. Today, some of this is still
noticeable within the techniques. The
second soke, Minamoto Hachiman Tamenari, is credited as being the official
founder. At some point in his life he
fled to Iga. This was possibly a result
of being on the losing side at the end of a battle.
One of the secret attributes of the Shinden Fudo Ryu is the
"Principle of Nature". The
school has two styles of taijutsu: Dakentaijutsu and Jutaijutsu, each with its
own sets of techniques. In the
Dakentaijutsu, there are no stances- Shizen no kamae represents the 'natural
posture' and holds no fixed form.
Hojojutsu, the art of tying someone with a length of rope, is also
taught in this Ryu-ha. Also taught are
several different types of yari (spear), Ono (war axe), O-Tsuchi (war hammer),
and naginata.
Kuki Takei
from the Kuki family of Kukishin Ryu was also from the Shinden Fudo Ryu. Takenaka Tetsunoke, senior student of Jigano
Kano, the founder of Judo, was at one time a student at the Shinden Fudo Ryu
dojo.
The Bugei
Ryuha Daijiten lists the soke slightly differently from below, which is the
list provided by Hatsumi Sensei, and is missing the 17th and 18th soke. Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu, the 24th soke,
was a samurai, and a master in the Bikenshin Ryu. He was also a sword instructor to the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was Takamatsu Sensei's grandfather, and
operated a dojo that had a plaque above the door which read: "Shinden Fudo
Ryu Dakentaijutsu".
This was the
first style that Takamatsu Sensei learned from Toda Sensei.
A
list of rules that was written into the Densho:
1. Know that endurance is simply a puff of smoke.
2. Know that the way of men is justice.
3. Forget the heart of greed, ease and relying on others.
4. One should regard both sadness and malice as natural laws, and just
gain
the enlightenment of an
unshakeable heart.
5. In your heart, never leave the ways of loyalty and filial piety, and
aspire
greatly for the ways of the pen and the sword.
Observing the 5 rules above is the law of the dojo.
Written at New Year, Meiji 23 (1891)
Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu
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Headmasters of Shinden Fudo Ryu
Ikai
Hogenbo,
Tesshin
Sakabe,
Tendo
1.Izumo,
Kanja Yoshiteru (Kumano) -Yeikyu era (1113)
2.Minamoto,
Hachiman Tamenari -Genyei era (1118)
3.Minamoto,
Hachiro Tameyoshi - Hogen era (1156)
4.Mizuhara,
Kuro Yoshinari -Genkyu era (1204)
5.Mugaibo,
Shinnen -Tempuku era (1233)
6.Ohkuni, Zenhachiro
Yoshinobu -Bunyie era (1264)
7.Hata,
Saburo Sasukeyasu
8.Kotani,
Yuhachiro Nobuchika -Geboko era (1321
or 1331)
9.Kaneko,
Jinsuke Yoshikiyo -Shohei era (1346)
10.Tajima,
Genkoro Nariyoshi -Genchu era (1384)
11.Kammon,
Kokanja Yoshikane -Shocho era (1428)
12.Kimura,
Hozen -Kwancho era (1460)
13.Ibuki,
Yoshihaha -Bummei era (1469)
14.Otsuka,
Hakushi Nyudo Tadamori -Yeisho era
(1504)
15.Otsuka,
Daikuro Tadahide -Taiyei era (1522)
16.Abe,
Muga -Tensho era (1573)
17.Koga,
Taro Kyokokaku -Tensho era (1573)
18.Katayama,
Hokinokami Mori Hisayasu -Bunroku
era (1592)
19.Shindo,
Unsai - Kwanyei era (1624-1644)
20.Odagiri,
Tohyoe Yoshihiso - Kwanyei era
(1624-1644)
21.Iida,
Jubee Tameyoshi -Meiwa era (1764)
22.Mori,
Genroku Masahide -Bunkwa era (1804)
23.Toyota,
Jubei Mitsuyoshi -Keiyo era (1865)
24.Toda,
Shinryuken Masamitsu (Kobe) -Meiji
era (1824 - 1909)
25.Takamatsu, Toshitsugu (Nara)
-Taisho era (1909) (b.1888 -
d.1972)
26.Hatsumi,
Masaaki (Noda) - Showa era (1968)
b.1931 - )