Motoha Yoshin Ryu (本派楊心流) is a branch school of Hontai Yoshin Ryu – Takagi Ryu, whose origins go back to the samurai Takagi Oriemon Shigetoshi in the first half of the 17th century. Since then, this martial art has been passed down from generation to generation.
The meaning of the name
- Moto (本) means origin or original: the teachings of Soke Minaki Saburoji and Soke Tsutsui Tomotaro are handed down unchanged.
- Ha (派) denotes a branch school.
- Yoshin (楊心) means “willow heart” – the willow is flexible and yields.
- Ryu (流) can be translated as tradition, style or school.
Soke Yasumoto Akiyoshi
The current Soke is Yasumoto Akiyoshi. As a branch school, Motoha Yoshin Ryu cannot be recognised by the Nihon Kobudo Kyokai, which only accredits the main line of a style. However, both Hontai Yoshin Ryu and Takagi Ryu are demonstrably authentic schools, and Soke Yasumoto holds the highest title, Menkyo Kaiden, in both. The lineage from the founding to the present day is therefore documented.
Curriculum
The emphasis is on jujutsu – unarmed combat against armed or unarmed opponents – with striking, locking and throwing techniques. Weapons techniques are also taught:
- Jujutsu (flexible technique): unarmed, unarmed against knife, unarmed against sword.
- Bojutsu (staff technique): rokushakubo (180 cm staff) and hanbo (90 cm stick).
- Kenjutsu (sword technique): kodachi (short sword) and katana (long sword).
Jujutsu, the core of Motoha Yoshin Ryu, consists of six areas known as Jujutsu Roppo:
- Gyaku
- joint manipulation, locks
- Nage
- throws
- Ate
- strikes
- Shime
- chokes
- Toritsuke
- restraining techniques
- Katsu
- resuscitation, first aid
Like all old koryu schools, Motoha Yoshin Ryu is an independent martial art and was not influenced by modern styles such as judo, aikido or karate. Its principles and techniques are much older than any modern form of jiu-jitsu.
History
The school was founded in the Edo period in Oshu (today Miyagi Prefecture) and spread to the domains of Shiroishi (Okayama), Owari (Nagoya), Tosa (Kochi) and finally Ako and Himeji (Hyogo). It was particularly important in the Himeji and Ako domains.
Among the most famous grandmasters are the 2nd and the 14th Soke. Umanosuke Shigesada, the 2nd Soke, appears in Japanese legends as a kind and warm-hearted man and an outstanding martial artist; he is credited with creating one of the earliest jujutsu styles.
The 14th Soke, Ishiya Takeo Masatsugu (born 1845), was known as the “master of masters” of the Edo period. His most famous teachings are: “First the eyes, second speed, third courage, fourth strength” and “soft on the outside, strong on the inside”. They encourage us to keep a calm mind in training.
The 16th Soke, Kakuno Hachiheita Masayoshi, opened a dojo in Nagata-ku, Kobe, and contributed greatly to the technical development of the school. He separated Hontai Yoshin Ryu and Takagi Ryu into two schools: Minaki Saburoji became Soke of Hontai Yoshin Ryu, Tsutsui Yutaro Soke of Takagi Ryu.
The 17th Soke, Minaki Saburoji Masanori (born 1906), began training under Soke Kakuno in 1922 at the age of 16 and received Menkyo Kaiden in 1933. Although he was only about 1.50 metres tall and of slight build, he is regarded as one of the most respected students of the school. He reorganised the kata into Gyaku no Kata, Nage no Kata, Oku no Kata and Tanto Dori no Kata. In 1982 he separated Hontai Yoshin Ryu and Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu.
Soke Minaki passed the Soke title of Hontai Yoshin Ryu to Inoue Tsuyoshi Munetoshi, while Yasumoto Sensei received Menkyo Kaiden. For many years he supported Soke Inoue as international chief instructor and, at his request, taught Inoue's son Kyoichi Inoue – today's Soke of Hontai Yoshin Ryu – the higher art of jujutsu for twelve years.
The founding of Motoha Yoshin Ryu
Soke Yasumoto, born in 1933, began training under Minaki Saburoji at the age of 26. Together they opened a dojo in the Yasumoto family home, and Yasumoto assisted Soke Minaki in teaching bone-setting to medical students. He also trained with other students of the 16th Soke, such as Tsutsui Tomotaro, and above all with Kanazawa Ichizu, Menkyo Kaiden of Takagi Ryu. Under Nakagawa Sensei, Soke of Mugai Ryu Iai, he received the 6th dan.
Soke Yasumoto received Menkyo Kaiden in Takagi Ryu and, in 1982, in Hontai Yoshin Ryu. Remaining true to the teachings of Kanazawa Ichizu and Minaki Saburoji, he renamed his branch Motoha Yoshin Ryu in 1999 – “Moto” refers to the original Takagi Ryu teachings of his teachers.
Worldwide
Today Motoha Yoshin Ryu is well represented outside Japan, including in Denmark, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Estonia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Israel, Australia, Sri Lanka, the USA and Switzerland. Seminars with teachers from Japan are held regularly. The Honbu Dojo is in Yonago, Japan.