Post by scottbaioisdead on Jan 23, 2009 2:14:07 GMT -5
I stole this from my friend jason at www.secrets-of-shuriken.com.au
Katono Ryu, (or Izu Ryu)
This school was founded by a samurai of Sendai-han, called Fujita Hirohide no Katono, also known as Katono Izu, who served around 1764 -1780. Katono was a student of Matsubayashi Henyasai of Ganritsu Ryu, and learned kendo, shuriken, as well as Ganritsu Ryu techniques from him. He pioneered the use of a throwing needle, about 10cm in length and weighing about 20gm, which was used in the manufacture of the helmet, armour, and leather mask. The needle, several of which he wore in his hair, was held between the middle and forefinger, and thrown into the eyes of an attacker. Apparently, Katono said that if he was able to blind an attacker, there would be no reason to fear them. It was said that he could throw two needles at a time at a picture of a horse, hitting each hoof in turn.
Negishi Ryu
Negishi Ryu was founded by Negishi Nobunori Shorei, a retainer of Joshu Annaka during the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate. Negishi became a student of Kaiho Hanpei, the second master of Hokushin Itto Ryu sword, after showing promise with the use of a shinai as a child. He then studied swordsmanship of other schools such as Araki Ryu, taught by his father Negishi Sentoku, and spear of Oshima Ryu, but he returned to Hanpei, eventually becoming the head of the Kaiho Ryu, and later taught for several years. When the Meiji Restoration ordered the abolition of swords, he became a farmer, and passed away in 1904. Kaiho Hanpei was also a student of the Katono Ryu shurikenjutsu, and hence we can see that Negishi Ryu descended directly from Ganritsu Ryu. The similarity in shape between Negishi Ryu blades and Ganritsu Ryu blades is evident in the bulbous head and tapering shaft. The successor to Negishi Shorei was Tonegawa Magoroku (also called Tonegawa Sonoroku Masatoshi), (1850 - 1939), who was succeeded by Kanji Naruse (also Narusei) (1888 - 1948). For a brief period, 4th headmaster role was pased onto Isamu Maeda Sensei, who transferred the title in 1959 to current headmaster, Satoshi Saito Sensei 1922 - ). In interview, Saito Sensei has stated that his successor will be Mr. Yoshimi Tomabechi, but there have also been reports that his successor will be Yoshinori Kono Sensei. (to be confirmed). There is also a report that 2nd headmaster, Tonegawa also studied under Shirai Toru Yoshikane, but this is possibly not true, as Shirai Toru passed away in 1843.
The basic blade shape of the Negishi Ryu is a projectile shaped pen that has an enlarged head and tail, like a slender bomb, and can weigh between 47 - 74gm. According to Someya Sensei, there are two types, one where the shaft of the blade narrows in the middle, and widens towards the tail and the other where the shaft narrows towards the tail and sometimes has a eye-hole shaped hook attached to the base. The Type 1 blades generally have either string, or paper wrapped and held together by lacquer, around the shaft, in order to create a rough surface which causes friction against the fingers as it leaves the hand. This is to enable the thrower to limit the forward rotation of the tail end towards the tip, thus assisting in longer distance flight. The Type 2 blades generally have animal hair , or a tassle of strings attached at the tail end of the shaft, to create drag in flight, which also assists in straight flight. Mr Shirakami mentions that as the student throws this type of blade, his throws are at first rather wild, and the long hair assists a straight flight, but over time, the hair wears off and becomes shorter, while at the same time the students throw becomes more comfortable and accurate, thus compensating for the lack of hair. Some people suggest that the wrapping of material around the blade changes the balance of the blade, thus assisting either a shorter or further distance throw, however the weight shift caused by adding by such material is negligible when compared to the weight of blade itself and the force used in the throw. The balance of the blade, whether for shorter or long distance throws is determined rather, by the actual shape of the blade, the size of the bulbous head and the length of the shaft are what determines the balance of the blade. Thus it is in the nature of the Negishi Ryu blade whether it is a long distance or short distance thrower, unlike the Shirai Ryu, who can throw long or short distance by adjusting the throwing technique, regardless of the nature of the blade.
Shirai Ryu
Shirai Ryu was founded by Shirai Toru Yoshikane, born 1783 in Okayama and died in 1843, aged 61. At the age of 8 he began to learn swordsmanship under Ida Shimpachiro of Kiji-ryu, and at 14 moved to Tokyo and trained daily under the Nakanishi school of Itto Ryu sword, and began teaching in Okayama at 23. Over 9 years his fame spread and he had over 300 students, but he continued to doubt his ability. In the subsequent years he returned to Edo a number of times to train with his seniors, until eventually he achieved some sort of major revelation and found peace with his technique. After this revelation, he added the word Tenshin to the name of his art, thus known as Tenshin Itto Ryu. The style of blade and throwing method he taught became known as Shirai Ryu. According to Satoshi Saito Sensei, current headmaster of Negishi Ryu, the Shirai Ryu became a lost art, ie. no-one who practiced it remained alive, and that he began a study of the art and revived it. Shirai Ryu techniques are now taught by Saito Sensei as part of Negishi Ryu training. According to Yoshinori Kono, although Shirai Toru left no official successor, his students "gathered together to practice among themselves"
The blade of Shirai Ryu is a metal rod 15cm to 25 cm in length and about 5-6mm in diameter. It is sharpened at one end and rounded at the other. They consist of both round and square cross sections, the differences no doubt due to the origin of their source material - needles for the round type, nails for the square.
Chishin Ryu
According to Mr Shirakami, this style is descended from Takemura Ryu . A student of Takemura, by the name of Iijima Hyobei (Iijima Ichibei?) further developed these techniques, which were then passed on to Dogen Tasaemon, who passed it on to Niki Juemon and then on to Asano Denemon, finishing with Tanba Orie Ujinaga (who presumably was the last headmaster of the art). It is interesting to note that the name of the last headmaster is Tanba, suggesting a connection between Chishin Ryu and Tanba Ryu, about which nothing is known at this stage. Furthermore, the throwing style of Musashi was said to be the turning hit, with a tanto-gata (knife shaped blade), whereas the Chishin Ryu blade in its final form is a kugi-gata (nail shaped blade), to be thrown with the Negishi Ryu style direct hit throw. Under what circumstances did the tanto-gata shuriken of Takemura Ryu change into a kugi-gata shuriken of Chishin Ryu? It seems as though there is a discrepancy in the history at some stage.
Someya Sensei describes the blade in his book, as being 16cms in length. A Chishin Ryu blade in the author's possession also measures 13.5cms. An interesting feature of the Chishin Ryu stance is that the right foot is forward as opposed to the left stance used in the majority of the other styles. Also, a distinguishing feature of the blade itself is the pyramidal finish to the butt end.
Enmei Ryu
The famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi was reportedly the founder of this school, which involves throwing a 40cm blade, probably a tanto, or knife. There is a story of a duel between Musashi and Shishido, an expert of the kusari-gama, a sickle and chain developed specifically to defeat the samurai's sword. As Shishido pulled out his chain, Musashi threw a dagger and struck him in the chest, killing him. According to Meik Skoss, Enmei Ryu is no longer extant.
Ikku Ryu, or Ikku-ken
Ikku-ken is the name given to a relatively modern style of shuriken, created in 1965 by modern day shuriken master, and author Shirakami Eizo. Mr Shirakami was born in Tokyo in 1921, sadly passed away in 2001, and although he did have some students over the years, he apparently left no successor as head of this Ryu. He was a student of Master Naruse Kanji (d. 1948), the 3rd headmaster of Negishi Ryu shurikenjutsu who had also trained in Yamamoto Ryu sword, and had written a book on Japanese Sabre Fighting after his experiences at war with China at the turn of the century. Master Naruse was a student of Yonegawa Magoroku who in turn was a student of the above mentioned founder of Shirai Ryu, Shirai Toru. Mr Shirakami began shuriken training in 1938 under Mr Naruse, and learned both Shirai Ryu and Negishi Ryu, and combined the blade from the Shirai Ryu with the throwing style of the Negishi Ryu, and formed a new method, which involves a double pointed blade (see fig. 23), This method overcomes the problem of positioning the blade the right way round in the hand before throwing, giving greater flexibility in distance. Mr Shirakami also learned kenjutsu of the Hokushin Itto Ryu under his uncle, General Hayashi Senjuro, and archery (including uchine) of the Heki Ryu, from another uncle, Miyamura Chizuka.
Jitsuyo Ryu or Kobu Jitsuyo Ryu, Chuko Shinkan-Ryu
Not much reliable information on this school available at present, however Fujita listed it among his list of schools in Zukai Shurikenjutsu . Jitsuyo means "pragmatic use". The founder was Hirayama Kozosen, (or Hiraiyama Kozo Hisomu, also Hirayama Gyozo), (1759 - 1828) born into a family who functioned as Iga-gumi or guards in the Iga area, and was succeeded by Soma Taisaku. Under Saito Sandayu he studied the Naganuma school of military strategy, from Matsushita Kiyokuro the spear-fighting methods of Oshima-ryu, from great wrestler Shibukawa Bungoro Tokihide the jujutsu and iai-jutsu of Shibukawa-ryu, from Yinokami Ryuzaemon the firearm shooting of Buei-ryu school. Also he studied horseback riding, archery and swimming. Hirayama's sword-fencing teacher was Yamada Mohei from Shinnuki-Ryu. Also Yamada was the third-generation grandmaster of the Untyu-ryu (spelling?) school of kenjutsu. Hirayama also studied kenjutsu of other schools, including Shinto Isshin-ryu. Hirayama's treatises "Kensetsu" ("Meaning of fencing") and "Kentyo" ("Collection about fencing") are the treasure of bujutsu.
Koden Ryu
A form of ju-jutsu, said to be of (edited because of who reads this) origin, extant in Japan as early as 7th Century AD. (Seems very early) Source: www.vpuma.com/styles/jujutsu.html , Finn. They are very distinctive in appearance, being called "kunai gata". Kunai come in a variety of shapes, and appear to be a rather versatile utility tool, used for purposes such as digging implements and climbing aids. They were apparently originally used in "kumi-uchi", an early battlefield grappling art, as a hand held item for prying open an opponent's armour. Perhaps their use as a throwing weapon was realised, and thus the technique was passed on and came to be known as Koden Ryu Shuriken. Fujita Seiko shows the following as blades of Koden Ryu in "Zukai Shurikenjutsu
Meifu Shinkage Ryu
This style was founded by Chikatoshi Someya Sensei, who began training as a boy in Katori Shinto Ryu from the 1930's to the 1970's. Shuriken jutsu was his forte among the buki waza of the Katori Shinto, and he made some modifications and formed his own style in the 1970's, thus giving the art its current name. He was also a shuriken researcher, having investigated a number of techniques and types of blades used in various ryu. Someya Sensei passed away in June 1999, and is succeeded by Yasuyuki Otsuka Sensei, who trained under Someya Sensei since 1980 and now runs a dojo with about 30 students in Japan, and also manages the Meifu Shinkage Ryu website. It is one of only 3 ryu specifically devoted to the shuriken arts, the other two being Negishi Ryu and Ikku Ryu, although with the passing of Shirakami Sensei in 2001, it is not certain whether there are any Ikkyu Ryu students or schools in existence.
Chikatoshi Someya Sensei depicts blades and throwing methods at length in his book, "Shuriken Giho", in Japanese. Someya Sensei was trained in Katori Shinto Ryu, who utilise a variety of blade shapes. However, he introduced the blades below, resembling those of Shirai Ryu, for beginners to practice with, as they are easier to learn the basics with. They practice the direct hit method of throw up to 7m distance, beyond that they practice the turning hit method, and advanced practitioners throw a wide variety of blade shapes, in a variety of throws, including "Chinese Fist method".
Mou En Ryu
The founder was Koshiba Soubei, and it appears the art may have originated in China. This fact seems to be confirmed by several sources when taken together suggesting that the long tapering shape of the Mou En Ryu blade derived from a triangular Chinese dart, although the blade is termed kugi gata as it is made from wakugi, the traditional nail. Someya Sensei in his book "Shuriken Giho" states that the art is "touden" () - ie. originated in. The blade shown appears to have a triangular cross section, however Otsuka Sensei said in personal communication that it is square, and triangular blades were not generally known, due to a certain difficulty in throwing them.
Mouri Ryu
Named after its founder, Mouri Gentaro Gentatsu who apparently was a cripple and practiced throwing 15cm nails at sparrows as a child. He later dueled with Yagyu Jubei, and carried 36 blades, 18 in each hand.
Otsuki Ryu
Yasuda Zenjiro, a master of Otsuki Ryu Kenjutsu from Hiroshima recounts that his teacher, Okamoto Munishige, an Edo period samurai of the Aizu domain used shuriken on a number of occasions during his employment in the Shogunate's security force. He reportedly carried around 12 blades in various places, including the koshita, or back flap of the hakama. - no longer extant
Shinei Ryu
This style of shuriken jutsu was formed by Isamu Maeda Sensei (also known as Shinei Maeda, his martial arts name) based on his training in Negshi Ryu and Shirai Ryu under Kanji Naruse Sensei. Maeda Sensei was due to be next headmaster of the Negishi Ryu after Naruse, but passed the title on to Satoshi Saito Sensei, during the 1950's. Maeda Sensei felt his style wasn't representative of Negishi Ryu, and therefore should not be headmaster, however his throwing style was rather distinct, if not unusual, in that he seemed to make very little arm movement while throwing. Video footage shows Maeda Sensei holding and throwing blades in what is called the "Chinese Fist" method, and was able to accurately throw blades well into his later life. Reportedly, Shinei Ryu is still taught, under the auspices of a Master Teranaka, in Osaka. It appears this style of shuriken jutsu is taught as part of the Itosu-kai Shito Ryu karate curriculum.
Shingetsu Ryu
This shuriken art was reportedly passed onto Manzo Iwata Sensei of Shito-Ryu by Seiko Fujita Sensei, in 1948. Fujita Sensei was the 14th headmaster of Koga Ryu Ninjutsu, and the author of several historical books on various traditional arts. In his "Zukai Shurikenjutsu", he mentions that the founder of this art was Fujiwara Naritada, and depicts the Shingetsu Ryu blade, of similar length to Shirai Ryu blades, but thicker, with a rounded sides..
Shosetsu Ryu
Founded by Yui Minbu no suke Tachibana Shosetsu, this art is said to use a kogai, or ornamental hairpin as its representative blade.
Shosho Ryu
Shosho Ryu Yawarajutsu is a old school of jujutsu, based in Iwate-ken (prefecture), that also includes sword, staff and rope tying techniques, and possesses a shuriken component. Details are scanty, but it appears they used tanto-gata (knife-shaped blades) in the manner of Enmei Ryu, of Musashi Miyamoto.
Takemura Ryu
This school was founded by Takemura Yoemon Tsunenori who was the adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi. It is said he was very skilled with the sword, and the shuriken, and that he once demonstrated his skill by throwing a 40cm dagger at a peach floating on a river, piercing it to the core. Fujita Seiko, in his Shurikenjutsu book depicts the blade as the type of tanto
Tatsumi Ryu
This school is a comprehensive martial art founded by Tatsumi Sankyo around the mid 1500's, and still operates today. It teaches a complete range of weaponry, including shuriken, as well as battlefield and martial strategies. Details about the shuriken in this Ryu are scarce at present, though I suspect shuriken training was introduced into the art at a later date. A blade currently used in the Tatsumi Ryu is 12.6 cms long and weight 90 grams. At its base, it is 17mm wide, and 12mm thick. This blade is rather interesting in that it's cross section is somewhat diamond shaped, being flattened along one axis. This is possibly due to the nature of the source material used to make the blade.
Teihozan Ryu (Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu)
Teihozan is an alternate reading for the name of the school's founder, Tsutsumi Yamashiro no kami Hozan. Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu is a 15th century ju-jutsu art that included a form of grappling called yoroi kumi uchi, which involves grappling in armour, as well weapons such as kenjutsu and kusari-gama (sickle and chain). Hozan Ryu is sometimes mistakenly called a school of Kendo, but this is untrue. When the Kendo kata were being formulated, specific techniques were incorporated from a variety of existing Ryu which contained a kenjutsu component. Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu was one of these schools, and it was the Hachiten Giri technique from Hozan Ryu, borrowed and used, along with techniques from others schools, to form the first standardised set of Kendo forms. The blade is a gandomeken
Tsugawa Ryu
The blade used by this style is a large, double pointed spatulate blade, called by some a teppan, and by others a ryobari-gata shuriken, or ryohashi tsurugi-gata shuriken, as it has two points that are similar to the double edge straight sword called tsurugi. Some groups use teppan to signify a large lozenge senban type blade. The word teppan means "plate metal", so the label is not incorrect for both. I heard a report that this pattern is similar in shape to a part of the traditional armour, and that in battle it was known to be removed and used as a throwing weapon. Perhaps this is the reason for the unusual shape of the blade.
Yagyu Ryu
A famous kenjutsu style founded by Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Nobutsuna, and passed through the Yagyu family. Successive generations of Yagyu lords served the Tokugawa shogunate for many years. Someya Sensei depicts the Yagyu Ryu shuriken blade as a 4 pointed hira shuriken, as well as a 2nd type, similar in shape to Negishi Ryu's "projectile" shaped blades, but with the tail end having a star shaped cross-section, much like the fletchings on an arrow. This is the style of shuriken that was presented to the French Government on a diplomatic mission during the 1800's, and was the basis for the French designed "flechette", a piercing weapon dropped at height from aeroplanes, used in World War I. They were dropped in bundles of 3500 to 4000 from an altitude of 2000m, and achieved a velocity of 150m per second, enough to pierce through body of a man, and the horse he sat on.
Fujita Seiko, in his book "Zukai Shurikenjutsu" depicts Mou En Ryu blades as having square cross sections. In "Ancient Chinese Hidden Weapons" by Douglas H. Y. Hsieh, a triangular throwing dart is described, which has a two sharp edges that meet at the point, and a third dull edge at the rear This dull edge sits in the palm, and the blade is thrown under-arm, palm forward, with the tip pointing outwards towards the target. This description may well suggest the reason for the unusual triangular butt end of some Mou En Ryu blades, and therefore show a derivation from the Chinese. However, the method of throwing in Mou En Ryu is not known at this stage, so it is still difficult to accurately compare the Ryu with Chinese sources.
Katono Ryu, (or Izu Ryu)
This school was founded by a samurai of Sendai-han, called Fujita Hirohide no Katono, also known as Katono Izu, who served around 1764 -1780. Katono was a student of Matsubayashi Henyasai of Ganritsu Ryu, and learned kendo, shuriken, as well as Ganritsu Ryu techniques from him. He pioneered the use of a throwing needle, about 10cm in length and weighing about 20gm, which was used in the manufacture of the helmet, armour, and leather mask. The needle, several of which he wore in his hair, was held between the middle and forefinger, and thrown into the eyes of an attacker. Apparently, Katono said that if he was able to blind an attacker, there would be no reason to fear them. It was said that he could throw two needles at a time at a picture of a horse, hitting each hoof in turn.
Negishi Ryu
Negishi Ryu was founded by Negishi Nobunori Shorei, a retainer of Joshu Annaka during the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate. Negishi became a student of Kaiho Hanpei, the second master of Hokushin Itto Ryu sword, after showing promise with the use of a shinai as a child. He then studied swordsmanship of other schools such as Araki Ryu, taught by his father Negishi Sentoku, and spear of Oshima Ryu, but he returned to Hanpei, eventually becoming the head of the Kaiho Ryu, and later taught for several years. When the Meiji Restoration ordered the abolition of swords, he became a farmer, and passed away in 1904. Kaiho Hanpei was also a student of the Katono Ryu shurikenjutsu, and hence we can see that Negishi Ryu descended directly from Ganritsu Ryu. The similarity in shape between Negishi Ryu blades and Ganritsu Ryu blades is evident in the bulbous head and tapering shaft. The successor to Negishi Shorei was Tonegawa Magoroku (also called Tonegawa Sonoroku Masatoshi), (1850 - 1939), who was succeeded by Kanji Naruse (also Narusei) (1888 - 1948). For a brief period, 4th headmaster role was pased onto Isamu Maeda Sensei, who transferred the title in 1959 to current headmaster, Satoshi Saito Sensei 1922 - ). In interview, Saito Sensei has stated that his successor will be Mr. Yoshimi Tomabechi, but there have also been reports that his successor will be Yoshinori Kono Sensei. (to be confirmed). There is also a report that 2nd headmaster, Tonegawa also studied under Shirai Toru Yoshikane, but this is possibly not true, as Shirai Toru passed away in 1843.
The basic blade shape of the Negishi Ryu is a projectile shaped pen that has an enlarged head and tail, like a slender bomb, and can weigh between 47 - 74gm. According to Someya Sensei, there are two types, one where the shaft of the blade narrows in the middle, and widens towards the tail and the other where the shaft narrows towards the tail and sometimes has a eye-hole shaped hook attached to the base. The Type 1 blades generally have either string, or paper wrapped and held together by lacquer, around the shaft, in order to create a rough surface which causes friction against the fingers as it leaves the hand. This is to enable the thrower to limit the forward rotation of the tail end towards the tip, thus assisting in longer distance flight. The Type 2 blades generally have animal hair , or a tassle of strings attached at the tail end of the shaft, to create drag in flight, which also assists in straight flight. Mr Shirakami mentions that as the student throws this type of blade, his throws are at first rather wild, and the long hair assists a straight flight, but over time, the hair wears off and becomes shorter, while at the same time the students throw becomes more comfortable and accurate, thus compensating for the lack of hair. Some people suggest that the wrapping of material around the blade changes the balance of the blade, thus assisting either a shorter or further distance throw, however the weight shift caused by adding by such material is negligible when compared to the weight of blade itself and the force used in the throw. The balance of the blade, whether for shorter or long distance throws is determined rather, by the actual shape of the blade, the size of the bulbous head and the length of the shaft are what determines the balance of the blade. Thus it is in the nature of the Negishi Ryu blade whether it is a long distance or short distance thrower, unlike the Shirai Ryu, who can throw long or short distance by adjusting the throwing technique, regardless of the nature of the blade.
Shirai Ryu
Shirai Ryu was founded by Shirai Toru Yoshikane, born 1783 in Okayama and died in 1843, aged 61. At the age of 8 he began to learn swordsmanship under Ida Shimpachiro of Kiji-ryu, and at 14 moved to Tokyo and trained daily under the Nakanishi school of Itto Ryu sword, and began teaching in Okayama at 23. Over 9 years his fame spread and he had over 300 students, but he continued to doubt his ability. In the subsequent years he returned to Edo a number of times to train with his seniors, until eventually he achieved some sort of major revelation and found peace with his technique. After this revelation, he added the word Tenshin to the name of his art, thus known as Tenshin Itto Ryu. The style of blade and throwing method he taught became known as Shirai Ryu. According to Satoshi Saito Sensei, current headmaster of Negishi Ryu, the Shirai Ryu became a lost art, ie. no-one who practiced it remained alive, and that he began a study of the art and revived it. Shirai Ryu techniques are now taught by Saito Sensei as part of Negishi Ryu training. According to Yoshinori Kono, although Shirai Toru left no official successor, his students "gathered together to practice among themselves"
The blade of Shirai Ryu is a metal rod 15cm to 25 cm in length and about 5-6mm in diameter. It is sharpened at one end and rounded at the other. They consist of both round and square cross sections, the differences no doubt due to the origin of their source material - needles for the round type, nails for the square.
Chishin Ryu
According to Mr Shirakami, this style is descended from Takemura Ryu . A student of Takemura, by the name of Iijima Hyobei (Iijima Ichibei?) further developed these techniques, which were then passed on to Dogen Tasaemon, who passed it on to Niki Juemon and then on to Asano Denemon, finishing with Tanba Orie Ujinaga (who presumably was the last headmaster of the art). It is interesting to note that the name of the last headmaster is Tanba, suggesting a connection between Chishin Ryu and Tanba Ryu, about which nothing is known at this stage. Furthermore, the throwing style of Musashi was said to be the turning hit, with a tanto-gata (knife shaped blade), whereas the Chishin Ryu blade in its final form is a kugi-gata (nail shaped blade), to be thrown with the Negishi Ryu style direct hit throw. Under what circumstances did the tanto-gata shuriken of Takemura Ryu change into a kugi-gata shuriken of Chishin Ryu? It seems as though there is a discrepancy in the history at some stage.
Someya Sensei describes the blade in his book, as being 16cms in length. A Chishin Ryu blade in the author's possession also measures 13.5cms. An interesting feature of the Chishin Ryu stance is that the right foot is forward as opposed to the left stance used in the majority of the other styles. Also, a distinguishing feature of the blade itself is the pyramidal finish to the butt end.
Enmei Ryu
The famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi was reportedly the founder of this school, which involves throwing a 40cm blade, probably a tanto, or knife. There is a story of a duel between Musashi and Shishido, an expert of the kusari-gama, a sickle and chain developed specifically to defeat the samurai's sword. As Shishido pulled out his chain, Musashi threw a dagger and struck him in the chest, killing him. According to Meik Skoss, Enmei Ryu is no longer extant.
Ikku Ryu, or Ikku-ken
Ikku-ken is the name given to a relatively modern style of shuriken, created in 1965 by modern day shuriken master, and author Shirakami Eizo. Mr Shirakami was born in Tokyo in 1921, sadly passed away in 2001, and although he did have some students over the years, he apparently left no successor as head of this Ryu. He was a student of Master Naruse Kanji (d. 1948), the 3rd headmaster of Negishi Ryu shurikenjutsu who had also trained in Yamamoto Ryu sword, and had written a book on Japanese Sabre Fighting after his experiences at war with China at the turn of the century. Master Naruse was a student of Yonegawa Magoroku who in turn was a student of the above mentioned founder of Shirai Ryu, Shirai Toru. Mr Shirakami began shuriken training in 1938 under Mr Naruse, and learned both Shirai Ryu and Negishi Ryu, and combined the blade from the Shirai Ryu with the throwing style of the Negishi Ryu, and formed a new method, which involves a double pointed blade (see fig. 23), This method overcomes the problem of positioning the blade the right way round in the hand before throwing, giving greater flexibility in distance. Mr Shirakami also learned kenjutsu of the Hokushin Itto Ryu under his uncle, General Hayashi Senjuro, and archery (including uchine) of the Heki Ryu, from another uncle, Miyamura Chizuka.
Jitsuyo Ryu or Kobu Jitsuyo Ryu, Chuko Shinkan-Ryu
Not much reliable information on this school available at present, however Fujita listed it among his list of schools in Zukai Shurikenjutsu . Jitsuyo means "pragmatic use". The founder was Hirayama Kozosen, (or Hiraiyama Kozo Hisomu, also Hirayama Gyozo), (1759 - 1828) born into a family who functioned as Iga-gumi or guards in the Iga area, and was succeeded by Soma Taisaku. Under Saito Sandayu he studied the Naganuma school of military strategy, from Matsushita Kiyokuro the spear-fighting methods of Oshima-ryu, from great wrestler Shibukawa Bungoro Tokihide the jujutsu and iai-jutsu of Shibukawa-ryu, from Yinokami Ryuzaemon the firearm shooting of Buei-ryu school. Also he studied horseback riding, archery and swimming. Hirayama's sword-fencing teacher was Yamada Mohei from Shinnuki-Ryu. Also Yamada was the third-generation grandmaster of the Untyu-ryu (spelling?) school of kenjutsu. Hirayama also studied kenjutsu of other schools, including Shinto Isshin-ryu. Hirayama's treatises "Kensetsu" ("Meaning of fencing") and "Kentyo" ("Collection about fencing") are the treasure of bujutsu.
Koden Ryu
A form of ju-jutsu, said to be of (edited because of who reads this) origin, extant in Japan as early as 7th Century AD. (Seems very early) Source: www.vpuma.com/styles/jujutsu.html , Finn. They are very distinctive in appearance, being called "kunai gata". Kunai come in a variety of shapes, and appear to be a rather versatile utility tool, used for purposes such as digging implements and climbing aids. They were apparently originally used in "kumi-uchi", an early battlefield grappling art, as a hand held item for prying open an opponent's armour. Perhaps their use as a throwing weapon was realised, and thus the technique was passed on and came to be known as Koden Ryu Shuriken. Fujita Seiko shows the following as blades of Koden Ryu in "Zukai Shurikenjutsu
Meifu Shinkage Ryu
This style was founded by Chikatoshi Someya Sensei, who began training as a boy in Katori Shinto Ryu from the 1930's to the 1970's. Shuriken jutsu was his forte among the buki waza of the Katori Shinto, and he made some modifications and formed his own style in the 1970's, thus giving the art its current name. He was also a shuriken researcher, having investigated a number of techniques and types of blades used in various ryu. Someya Sensei passed away in June 1999, and is succeeded by Yasuyuki Otsuka Sensei, who trained under Someya Sensei since 1980 and now runs a dojo with about 30 students in Japan, and also manages the Meifu Shinkage Ryu website. It is one of only 3 ryu specifically devoted to the shuriken arts, the other two being Negishi Ryu and Ikku Ryu, although with the passing of Shirakami Sensei in 2001, it is not certain whether there are any Ikkyu Ryu students or schools in existence.
Chikatoshi Someya Sensei depicts blades and throwing methods at length in his book, "Shuriken Giho", in Japanese. Someya Sensei was trained in Katori Shinto Ryu, who utilise a variety of blade shapes. However, he introduced the blades below, resembling those of Shirai Ryu, for beginners to practice with, as they are easier to learn the basics with. They practice the direct hit method of throw up to 7m distance, beyond that they practice the turning hit method, and advanced practitioners throw a wide variety of blade shapes, in a variety of throws, including "Chinese Fist method".
Mou En Ryu
The founder was Koshiba Soubei, and it appears the art may have originated in China. This fact seems to be confirmed by several sources when taken together suggesting that the long tapering shape of the Mou En Ryu blade derived from a triangular Chinese dart, although the blade is termed kugi gata as it is made from wakugi, the traditional nail. Someya Sensei in his book "Shuriken Giho" states that the art is "touden" () - ie. originated in. The blade shown appears to have a triangular cross section, however Otsuka Sensei said in personal communication that it is square, and triangular blades were not generally known, due to a certain difficulty in throwing them.
Mouri Ryu
Named after its founder, Mouri Gentaro Gentatsu who apparently was a cripple and practiced throwing 15cm nails at sparrows as a child. He later dueled with Yagyu Jubei, and carried 36 blades, 18 in each hand.
Otsuki Ryu
Yasuda Zenjiro, a master of Otsuki Ryu Kenjutsu from Hiroshima recounts that his teacher, Okamoto Munishige, an Edo period samurai of the Aizu domain used shuriken on a number of occasions during his employment in the Shogunate's security force. He reportedly carried around 12 blades in various places, including the koshita, or back flap of the hakama. - no longer extant
Shinei Ryu
This style of shuriken jutsu was formed by Isamu Maeda Sensei (also known as Shinei Maeda, his martial arts name) based on his training in Negshi Ryu and Shirai Ryu under Kanji Naruse Sensei. Maeda Sensei was due to be next headmaster of the Negishi Ryu after Naruse, but passed the title on to Satoshi Saito Sensei, during the 1950's. Maeda Sensei felt his style wasn't representative of Negishi Ryu, and therefore should not be headmaster, however his throwing style was rather distinct, if not unusual, in that he seemed to make very little arm movement while throwing. Video footage shows Maeda Sensei holding and throwing blades in what is called the "Chinese Fist" method, and was able to accurately throw blades well into his later life. Reportedly, Shinei Ryu is still taught, under the auspices of a Master Teranaka, in Osaka. It appears this style of shuriken jutsu is taught as part of the Itosu-kai Shito Ryu karate curriculum.
Shingetsu Ryu
This shuriken art was reportedly passed onto Manzo Iwata Sensei of Shito-Ryu by Seiko Fujita Sensei, in 1948. Fujita Sensei was the 14th headmaster of Koga Ryu Ninjutsu, and the author of several historical books on various traditional arts. In his "Zukai Shurikenjutsu", he mentions that the founder of this art was Fujiwara Naritada, and depicts the Shingetsu Ryu blade, of similar length to Shirai Ryu blades, but thicker, with a rounded sides..
Shosetsu Ryu
Founded by Yui Minbu no suke Tachibana Shosetsu, this art is said to use a kogai, or ornamental hairpin as its representative blade.
Shosho Ryu
Shosho Ryu Yawarajutsu is a old school of jujutsu, based in Iwate-ken (prefecture), that also includes sword, staff and rope tying techniques, and possesses a shuriken component. Details are scanty, but it appears they used tanto-gata (knife-shaped blades) in the manner of Enmei Ryu, of Musashi Miyamoto.
Takemura Ryu
This school was founded by Takemura Yoemon Tsunenori who was the adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi. It is said he was very skilled with the sword, and the shuriken, and that he once demonstrated his skill by throwing a 40cm dagger at a peach floating on a river, piercing it to the core. Fujita Seiko, in his Shurikenjutsu book depicts the blade as the type of tanto
Tatsumi Ryu
This school is a comprehensive martial art founded by Tatsumi Sankyo around the mid 1500's, and still operates today. It teaches a complete range of weaponry, including shuriken, as well as battlefield and martial strategies. Details about the shuriken in this Ryu are scarce at present, though I suspect shuriken training was introduced into the art at a later date. A blade currently used in the Tatsumi Ryu is 12.6 cms long and weight 90 grams. At its base, it is 17mm wide, and 12mm thick. This blade is rather interesting in that it's cross section is somewhat diamond shaped, being flattened along one axis. This is possibly due to the nature of the source material used to make the blade.
Teihozan Ryu (Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu)
Teihozan is an alternate reading for the name of the school's founder, Tsutsumi Yamashiro no kami Hozan. Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu is a 15th century ju-jutsu art that included a form of grappling called yoroi kumi uchi, which involves grappling in armour, as well weapons such as kenjutsu and kusari-gama (sickle and chain). Hozan Ryu is sometimes mistakenly called a school of Kendo, but this is untrue. When the Kendo kata were being formulated, specific techniques were incorporated from a variety of existing Ryu which contained a kenjutsu component. Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu was one of these schools, and it was the Hachiten Giri technique from Hozan Ryu, borrowed and used, along with techniques from others schools, to form the first standardised set of Kendo forms. The blade is a gandomeken
Tsugawa Ryu
The blade used by this style is a large, double pointed spatulate blade, called by some a teppan, and by others a ryobari-gata shuriken, or ryohashi tsurugi-gata shuriken, as it has two points that are similar to the double edge straight sword called tsurugi. Some groups use teppan to signify a large lozenge senban type blade. The word teppan means "plate metal", so the label is not incorrect for both. I heard a report that this pattern is similar in shape to a part of the traditional armour, and that in battle it was known to be removed and used as a throwing weapon. Perhaps this is the reason for the unusual shape of the blade.
Yagyu Ryu
A famous kenjutsu style founded by Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Nobutsuna, and passed through the Yagyu family. Successive generations of Yagyu lords served the Tokugawa shogunate for many years. Someya Sensei depicts the Yagyu Ryu shuriken blade as a 4 pointed hira shuriken, as well as a 2nd type, similar in shape to Negishi Ryu's "projectile" shaped blades, but with the tail end having a star shaped cross-section, much like the fletchings on an arrow. This is the style of shuriken that was presented to the French Government on a diplomatic mission during the 1800's, and was the basis for the French designed "flechette", a piercing weapon dropped at height from aeroplanes, used in World War I. They were dropped in bundles of 3500 to 4000 from an altitude of 2000m, and achieved a velocity of 150m per second, enough to pierce through body of a man, and the horse he sat on.
Fujita Seiko, in his book "Zukai Shurikenjutsu" depicts Mou En Ryu blades as having square cross sections. In "Ancient Chinese Hidden Weapons" by Douglas H. Y. Hsieh, a triangular throwing dart is described, which has a two sharp edges that meet at the point, and a third dull edge at the rear This dull edge sits in the palm, and the blade is thrown under-arm, palm forward, with the tip pointing outwards towards the target. This description may well suggest the reason for the unusual triangular butt end of some Mou En Ryu blades, and therefore show a derivation from the Chinese. However, the method of throwing in Mou En Ryu is not known at this stage, so it is still difficult to accurately compare the Ryu with Chinese sources.
