Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu was founded by Uryu Gikanbo, who was the Daimyo
(feudal warlord) of Kawachi no Kuni
(
Takamatsu Toshitsugu
orginally awarded this system to Akimoto Fumio, who
became the 14th soke.
Akimoto met an untimely death from an illness around 1962, and he left
no successor. The system therefore came
back to Takamatsu Sensei. He passed the
style onto Masaaki Hatsumi, who is the current soke, as listed in the Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten.
One of the special teachings of Gikan Ryu is "Bufu ni sente
nashi" (From this side there is not the first
strike). This ryu
contains many special kicks, punches and throws. We have been told that the makimono scrolls do not contain step by step instructions
of techniques. There are no formal kata in the Gikan ryu. The techniques are created based on the skill
of the exponent, and are a combination of the body's movement and the methods
of kicking and striking from the ryu. The methods are taught orally.
Kamae
Shiten
no Kamae
Hachiku
no Kamae
Ichimonji
no Kamae
Sanposhin
no Kamae
Hira Ichimonji no Kamae
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soke of
Gikan Ryu
Uryu Hangan Gikanbo Yeiroku Era
(1558-1570)
Uryu Yoshimitsu
Tensho Era (1573-1592)
Uryu Yoshimori
Kan-ei Era
(1624-1644)
Uryu Yoshichika
Kambun Era
(1661-1673)
Uryu
Yoshitaka Genroku Era
(1688-1704)
Uryu Yoshihide
Horeki Era
(1751-1764)
Uryu Yoshimori
Kansei Era
(1789-1801)
Uryu
Yoshiaki Tenpo Era
(1830-1844)
Uryu Yoshiyasu Bunkyu
Era (1861-1864)
Uryu Gikan
Keiko Era (1865-1868)
Ishitani
Takeoi Masatsugu (approx. death 1905)
Ishitani
Matsutaro Takekage (approx. death 1911)
Akimoto
Fumio (approx. death 1962)
Hatsumi
Masakki b. 1931 -