New notes on the Kukishinden thread
The Kukishinden is a vast school which we have inherited from Ishitani down to Takmatsu then on to the current generation
As can be seen above, there are 5 scrolls for the Unarmed system, making it the one of the most extensive, not just in Ninpo, but in any Budo school
There are extensive scrolls for each weapon
For STMA we use the first scroll for each of the main weapons Sword, Hanbo, Jo and Bo - this was set up to match the first 4 scrolls before we started sourcing the 5th
If we do a "5th weapon scroll" it would be made up of a technique or two for each of the other weapons, spear, halberd, bisento, jutte, tessen, to give an understanding of that weapon's specifics
There are no current plans to do the rest of the "higher" scrolls for the weapons, though it may be something we look at in the future years
As we are looking again at Kukishinden this year, it is a good time to revise the list, look at what we will be covering, and what we won't, what we may leave until later
As we plan to focus on Jo v bokken this year, and line this with the Seitei Jo, the next level would be more sword work bokken v bokken, and that may not happen until next year
We will continue to cover and practice Bo as we go through the Season, and we also have the KENPO staff and the WING CHUN Pole we cover
If we do further BO and then spear in the future, moving into spear, halberd, etc, we also need to consider the KARATE Bo of the Okinawan KOBUDO, as there are KUMI drills and KATA we do not regularly use
For these reasons, the further use of the Bo and long weapons will be future projects
Similar to specific use of the short weapons, the Kodachi, tessen and jutte, would be for later development - we need to consider how that would link in with the short weapons of KALI, the stick and knife, the KRABI, the WING CHUN Bart Charm Dao knives, and any weapon work we want to bring out of SILAT, as well as the KARATE Okinawan KOBUDO weapons Sai and Kama, added to any further work with the TONFA and NUNCHAKU work we already cover
This is stuff for later years
Every Ninpo Shidoshi runs his own Dojo his own way, he may seek advice and/or inspiration from the current Soke, Shihans, or other Shidoshi, though how his school is structured will be his own choice
In the case of STMA, there is no separate class or transmission of Ninjutsu, it is done at our sessions alongside what we already do - it was added later and in stages
Like most Ninja Shidoshi, I start with Kihon Happo and the TODA schools
Gyokko Ryu
Koto Ryu
Togakure Ryu
Gyokko and Koto are "twin" schools and the entire transmission is learnt by the study of both schools together
Togakure is the foundation for all Ninpo, and takes it's movement from these two schools
The Toda Ninja schools:
Togakure
Gyokushin
Kumagakure
So Togakure is the third school in the first group and the first school in the second group
The 6th Toda school being Shinden Fudo Ryu, itself made of 2 schools
We use all 3 scrolls of the Dakentaijutsu, and the first scroll of the Jutaijutsu
We have posted elsewhere about the "grouping" of the Ryuha, and this can be altered from year to season, even to session, depending on what we are looking to cover and achieve
As we spent a couple of years on the first 3, we are looking again more to the Ishitani schools, primarily Kukishin
The three Ishitani schools:
Kukishinden Ryu
Takagi Yoshin Ryu
Gikan Ryu
We will again cover the first scroll of Takagi Yoshin Ryu, as well as some of the transmission of Gikan Ryu
Again, none of this will be rushed
Examples:
Some of the hard bone breaking concepts of GIKAN Ryu are relevent at a KEMPO session when discussing some of the strikes - breaking the clavicle and then hitting it down into the lung is a NINJA technique and a Gikan concept
- remember the GIKAN Ryu has no scrolls, it is an oral transmission, like KATA, more like a KARATE method
In Kempo F5 we go behind and have the shoulder grab and sweeps - the method of grabbing the shoulder from behind and kicking the leg out is on the TAKAGI YOSHI scroll - and it is a lot like an AIKI move
The NINPO school groupings:
TODA Budo:
Gyokko Ryu
Koto Ryu
Togakure Ryu
TODA Ninpo:
Togakure
Gyokushin
Kumagakure
TODA Shinden Fudo Ryu
Dakentaijutsu
Jutaijutsu
ISHITANI:
Kukishinden Ryu
Takagi Yoshin Ryu
Gikan Ryu
