Ittatsu-ryū

Ittatsu-ryū (一達流)
Koryū
Foundation
Founder	Matsuzaki Kinuemon Tsunekatsu (fl. c.17th century)
Date founded	c.17th century
Period founded	Mid-to-late Edo period
Current information
Current headmaster	No single headmaster
Arts taught
Art	Description
Hojōjutsu	Rope-tying art
Descendant schools
Shintō Musō-ryū

Ittatsu-ryū (一達流) is a traditional school (koryū) of the Japanese martial art of hojōjutsu. Today, Ittatsu-ryū has been assimilated into the traditional school of Shintō Musō-ryū. This particular school of hojōjutsu was created in the late 17th century by Matsuzaki Kinueimon Shigekatsu, the third Shintō Musō-ryū headmaster. The modern Ittatsu-ryū system comprises 24 training-forms (kata), grouped into 3 different series.

History

Hojōjutsu (捕縄術) or Nawajutsu, (縄術) is the traditional Japanese martial skill of restraining a person using cord or rope (Hojō). It found use on both on and off the battlefield in up to 125 individual martial arts schools. It was used in particular by the various police-forces of the Edo-period and remains in use to this day with the Tokyo police force. In the warring-era (1467–1615) it was not uncommon for warriors carrying a rope for use as a tool or as a restraint for prisoners of war when on campaign. The rope is to be used on an opponent after he or she has been subdued using restraining methods (torite) such as the methods found in the Ikkaku-ryū juttejutsu system.

Ittatsu-ryū Hojōjutsu was created in the 17th century by Matsuzaki Kin'ueimon Shigekatsu, the third shihanke of the Shintō Musō-ryū, who also created the Ikkaku-ryū, and later transmitted through the "New Just" (Shintō) Musō-ryū tradition as its main rope-art. The rope used in Ittatsu-ryū is about 5 meters in length and a diameter of about 3.5 mm.

Although handcuffs have generally replaced the rope, there exists today a modern form of hojojutsu in the Tokyo policeforce. This system was derived mainly from the Ittatsu-ryū tradition and were taught by the Shintō Musō-ryū Shihanke Shimizu Takaji in his formal duty as a police force instructor in the mid 20th century.

Hojō methods

In the strict social-system of the Tokugawa-era (1603–1868) there was a high emphasis on treating each individual according to what class the individual belonged to. Each of the Ittatsu-ryu form(kata)-series is adapted to deal with the social status of the individual being restrained. A samurai-lord, (if being arrested for a crime), would have to be restrained in a way that enables the individual to retain his or her dignity. Women, priests (of either shinto or Buddhist faith), samurai, and commoners (considered to be near bottom of the class-system) would have to be restrained in a way that represented their position in the class-hierarchy without disgracing them.

Training

The hojō-methods are for the most part taught only to advanced students who have achieved a high level of proficiency in the Shinto Muso-ryu Jodo forms, though the level required is not standardized and different Jodo-organisations have different requirements.

List of Ittatsu-ryū Hojōjutsu forms

The modern-day Ittatsu-ryū system comprises 24 forms of rope-tying divided between 3 series called Ge, Chû and Jô.

Ge (inferior) series

1. Ichimonji haya nawa
2. Hagai tsuke haya nawa
3. Hitoe hishi nawa
4. Shin hagai tsuke nawa
5. Ya hazu nawa
6. Sumi chigai nawa
7. Shin tombô nawa
8. Happô karami nawa
9. Yagura hishi nawa

Chû (middle) series

1. Hishi haya nawa
2. Hishi nawa
3. Jûmonji nawa
4. Bajô bagai tsuke nawa
5. Tombô nawa
6. Shin futae hishi nawa
7. Shin kikô nawa
8. Yagura hishi nawa

Jô (higher) series

1. Jûmonji haya nawa
2. Jûmonji nawa
3. Futae hishi nawa
4. Kikô nawa
5. Age maki nawa
6. Shin hagai tsuke nawa
7. Munawari hitoe hîshi nawa
8. Kiri nawa

See also

• Edo period
• Hojojutsu
• Shinto Muso-ryu

External links

• European Jôdô Federation