柔術

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• Jiujutsu.

Kanō Jigorō

Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. Vol. XVI.

Yokohama: R. Meiklejohn & Co., No. 26, Water Street. 1889.

Jiujutsu（柔術）

The old Samurai art of Fighting without weapons.

By Rev. T. Lindsay and J. Kano.

[Read April 18th, 1888.]

S. 192

In feudal times in Japan, there were various military arts and exercises by which the Samurai classes were trained and fitted for their special forms of warfare.

Among these was the art of Jiujutsu, from which the present Jiudo（柔道） has sprung up.

The word Jiujutsu may be translated freely as the art of gaining victory by yielding or pliancy. Originally, the name seems to have been applied to what may best be described as the art of fighting without weapons, although in some cases short weapons were used against opponents fighting with long weapons. Although it seems to resemble wrestling, yet it differs materially from wrestling as practiced in England, its main principle being not to match strength with strength, but to gain victory by yielding to strength.

Since the abolition of the Feudal System the art has for some time been out of use, but at the present time it has become very popular in Japan, though with some important modifications, as a system of athletics, and its value as a method for physical training has been recognized by the establishment of several schools of Jiujutsu and Jiudo in the capital.

We shall first give an historical sketch of Jiujutsu, giving an account of the various schools to which it has given rise, and revert briefly in the sequel to the form into which it has been developed at the present time.

S. 193

Jiujutsu has been known from feudal times under various names, such as Yawara, Taijutsu, Kogusoku, Kempo, and Hakuda. The names Jiujutsu and Yawara were the most widely known and used.

In tracing the history of the art, we are met at the outset with difficulties which are not uncommon in similar researches, - the unreliableness of much of the literature of the art.

Printed books on the subject are scarce, and whilst there are innumerable manuscripts belonging to various schools of the arts, many of them are contradictory and unsatisfactory. The originators of new schools seem oftentimes to have made history to suit their own purposes, and thus the material for a consistent and clear account of the origins and rise of Jiujutsu are very scanty. In early times, the knowledge of the history and the art was in the possession of the teachers of the various schools, who handed down information to their pupils as a secret in order to give it a sacred appearance.

Moreover, the seclusion of one province from another, as a consequence of the Feudal System of Japan, prevented much acquaintance between teachers and pupils of the various schools, and thus contrary and often contradictory accounts of its history were handed down and believed. Further, it is to be noted that the interest of its students was devoted more to the successes in the practice of the art than to knowledge of its rise and progress in the country.

Turning to the origin of Jiujutsu, as is to be expected various accounts are given.

In the Bugei Shō-den （武藝小傳）, which is a collection of brief biographies of eminent masters of the different arts of fighting practiced in feudal times, - accounts are given of Kogusoku （小具足） and Ken （拳）, which is the equivalent to Kempō （拳法）; these two being distinguished from each other, the former as the art of seizing and the latter as the art of gaining victory by pliancy. The art of Kogusoku is ascribed to Takenouchi, a native of Sakushiu. It is said that in the first year of Tenbun, 1532, a sorcerer came unexpectedly to the house of Takenouchi and taught him five methods of seizing a man; he then went off and he could not tell wither he went.

The origin of the art of Ken is stated thus: - There came to Japan from China a man named Chingempin, who left that country

S. 194

after the fall of the Min dynasty, and lived in Kokushōji (a Buddhist temple) in Azabu in Yedo, as Tōkyō was then called. There also in the same temple lived three ronins, Fukuno, Isogai and Miura. One day Chingempin told them that in China there was an art of seizing a man, which he had seen himself practiced but had not learned its principles. On hearing this, these three men made investigations and afterwards became very skillful.

The origin of Jiu, which is equivalent to Jiujutsu, is traced to these three men, from whom it spread throughout the country. In that same account the principles of the art are stated, and the following are three free translations:

(1) Not to resist an opponent, but to gain victory by pliancy.

(2) Not to aim at frequent victory.

(3) Not to be led into scolding (bickering) by keeping the mind (empty) composed and calm.

(4) Not to be disturbed by things.

(5) Not to be agitated under any emergency but to be tranquil.

And for all these, rules for respiration are considered important.

In the Bujutsu riu soroku （武術流祖録）, a book of biographies of the originators of different schools of the arts of the Japanese warfare, exactly the same account is given to the origin of Kogusoku, and a similar account of Jiujutsu; and it is also stated that the time in which Muira lived was about 1560.

In the Chinomaki, a certificate given by the teachers of the Kitō school to their pupils, we find a brief history of the art and its main principles taught by that school.

In it, a reference is made to the writing dated the 11th year of Kuanbun (1671).

According to it there was once a man named Fukuno who studied the art of fighting without weapons and so excelled in the art that he defeated people very much stronger than himself. The art at first did not spread to any great extent: but two of his pupils became especially noted, who were the founders of separate schools, named Miura and Terada.

S. 195

The art taught by Miura was named Wa (which is equivalent to Yawara), and the art taught by Terada was named Jiu (which is equivalent to Jiujutsu).

The date of the period in which Fukuno flourished is not mentioned in the certificate quoted above, but it is seen from the date in another manuscript that it must have been before the eleventh year of Kuanbun (1671).

The Owari meisho dzue （尾張名所圖會） gives an account of Chingempin. According to it Chingempin was a native of Korinken in China, who fled to Japan in order to escape from the troubles at the close of the Min Dynasty. He was cordially received by the prince of Owari, and there died at the age of 85 in 1671, which is stated to be the date on his tombstone in Kenchūji in Nagoya. In the same book a passage is quoted from Kenpōhisho （拳法秘書） which relates that when Chingempin lived in Kokushōji in Azabu, the three ronins Fukuno, Isogai and Muira also lived there, and Chingempin told them that in China there was an art of seizing a man and that he had seen it; that it was of such and such nature. Finally these three men, after hearing this, investigated the art and as a result, the school of the art Kitōriu was founded.

In a book called the Sen tetsu so dan （先哲叢談）, which may be considered one of the authorities on the subject, it is stated that Chingempin was born probably in the 15th year of Banreki according to Chinese chronology, that is in 1587; that he met at Nagoya, a priest named Gensei in the 2nd year of Manji, that is in 1659, with whom he became very intimate. They published some poems under the title Gen Gen Sho Washu （元元唱和集）.

In another book named Kiyu shō ran （嬉遊笑覽） it is related that Chingempin came to Japan in the 2nd year of Manji (1659).

Again it is generally understood that Shunsui （舜水）, a famous Chinese scholar, came to Japan on the fall of the Min dynasty in the 2nd year of Manji (1659).

From these various accounts it seems evident that Chingempin flourished in Japan some time after the second year of Manji, in 1659. So that the statement of the Bujutsu riusoroku that Miura flourished in the time of Eiroku must be discredited. It is evident

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from the accounts already given that Chingempin flourished at a later period, and that Miura was his contemporary.

There are other accounts of the origin of Jiujutsu given by various schools of the art, to which we must now turn.

The account given by the school named Yōshinriu is as follows: -

This school was begun by Miura Yōshin, a physician of Nagasaki in Hizen. He flourished in the early times of the Tokugawa Shoguns. Believing that many diseases arose from not using mind and body together, he invented some methods of Jiujutsu. Together with his two medical pupils he found 21 ways of seizing an opponent and afterwards found out 51 others. After his death his pupils founded two separate schools of the art, one of them naming his school Yōshinriu, from the Yōshin of his teacher’s name: the other named his school Miurariu, also from his teacher’s name.

The next account is that of a manuscript named Tenjin Shinyōriu Taiiroku. In it there occurs a conversation between Iso Mataemon, the founder of the Tenjin Shinyōriu, and Terasaki, one of his pupils. The origin of Jiujutsu is related thus: There once lived in Nagasaki a physician named Akiyama, who went over to China to study medicine. He learned the art called Hakuda, which consisted of kicking and striking, differing, we may note, from Jiujutsu, which is mainly seizing and throwing.

Akiyama learned three methods of this Hakuda and 28 ways of recovering a man from apparent death. When he returned to Japan, he began to teach this art, but as he had few methods, his pupils got tired of it, and left him.

Akiyama, feeling much grieved on this account, went to the Tenjin shrine in Tsukushi and there worshipped for 100 days.

In this place he discovered 303 different methods of the art. What led to this is equally curious. One day during a snow storm he observed a willow tree whose branches were covered with snow. Unlike the pine tree which stood erect and broke before the storm, the willow yielded to the weight of the snow on its branches, but did not break under it. In this way, he reflected Jiujutsu must be practiced. So he named his school Yōshin-riu, the spirit of the willow-tree-school.

S. 197

In the Taiiroku it is denied that Chingempin introduced Jiujutsu into Japan - but whilst affirming that Akiyama introduced some features of the art from China, it adds, “is a shame to our country” to ascribe the origin of Jiujutsu to China. In this opinion we ourselves concur. It seems to us that the art is Japanese in origin and development for the following reasons.

(1)  An art of defense without weapons is common in all countries in a more or less developed state, and in Japan the feudal state would necessarily develop Jiujutsu.

(2) The Chinese Kempō and Japanese Jiujutsu differ materially in their methods.

(3) The existence of a similar art is referred to, before the time of Chingempin.

(4) The unsatisfactoriness of the accounts given of its origin.

(5) The existence of Japanese wrestling from the very early times, which in some respects resembles Jiujutsu.

(6) As Chinese arts and Chinese civilization were highly esteemed by the Japanese, in order to give prestige to the art, Jiujutsu may have been ascribed to a Chinese origin.

(7) In ancient times teachers of the different branches of military arts, such as fencing, using the spear, etc., seem to have practiced this art to some extent.

In support of this position, we remark first that Jiujutsu, as practiced in Japan, is not known in China. In that country there is the art before referred to called Kempō, and from the account of it in a book named ”Kikōshinsho” （紀効新書）, it seems to be a method of kicking and striking.

But Jiujutsu involved much more, as been already made clear. Besides, a student in China, according to the books of instruction, is expected to learn and practice the art by himself, whilst in Jiujutsu it is essential that the two men shall practice together.

Even although we admit that Chingempin may have introduced Kempō to Japan, it is extremely difficult to look upon Jiujutsu as in any sense a development of Kempō. Besides, if Chingempin had been skilled in the art, it is almost certain that he would have referred to it in his book of poems which, along with Gensei the priest with whom

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he became intimate at the castle of Nagoya, he published under their joint names as the Gengenshōwashin. Yet there is no reference in any of his writings to the art.

Apart from Chingempin, the Japanese could learn something of the art of Kempo as practiced in China from the books named Bubushi （武備志）, Kikōshinsho, etc. We believe then that Jiujutsu is a Japanese art, which could have been developed to its present perfection without any aid from China, although we admit that Chingempin, or some Chinese book on Kempō may have given a stimulus to its development. Having thus discussed in a brief way the origin of Jiujutsu, and what Jiujutsu is in a general way, we shall now turn to the different schools and the differences which are said to exist between the several names of the art mentioned above. It is impossible to enumerate all the schools of Jiujutsu; we might count by the hundreds, because almost all the teachers who have attained some eminence in the art have originated their own schools. But it is not possible, and also not in our way to describe them all or even enumerate them. We shall be satisfied here by referring to some of the most important on account of the principles taught, and the large number of pupils they have attracted.

(1) Kitōriu （起倒流） or Kitō School. This school is said to have been originated by Terada Kan-emon. The time when he flourished is not given in any authoritative book or manuscript, but we may say that he flourished not very long after Fukuno, because it is stated both in Chinomaki of the Kitō school, and in the Bujutsu riusoroku that he learnt the art from another Terada, who was a pupil of Fukuno, although there are opinions contradictory to this statement. Among the celebrated men of this school may be mentioned Yoshimura, Hotta, Takino, Gamō, Imabori; and of late Takenaka, Noda, Iikubo, Yoshida and Motoyama, of whom the last two are still living.

(2) Kiushinriu was originated by Inugami Nagakatsu. His grandson Inugami Nagayasu, better known as Inugami Gunbei, attained great eminence in the art and so developed it that he has been called in later times the originator of Kuishinriu. There is great similarity in the principles of Kitōriu and Kiushinriu.

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The resemblance is so close, that we suppose the later has been derived from the former. It is also said that in the second year of Kiōhō (1717) Inugami studied Kitōriu under Takino. This must of course be one of the reasons why they are so similar. Among those who were famous in this school may be mentioned Ishino, Tsukamato and Eguchi.

(3) Sekiguchi Jūshin was an originator of another school. His school was called Sekiguchi riu, after him. He had three sons, all of who became famous in the art. Shibukawa Bangoro, who studied the art from his first son Sekiguchi Hachirozaemon, became the founder of another great school of Jiujutsu known after him as the Shibukawariu. Sekiguchi Jūshin of the present time is a descendent of the originator (being the ninth generation from him).

Shibukawa Bangoro, the 8th descendent of the originator of Shibukawariu is now teaching his art at Motomachi in Hongo in Tōkyō.

(4) Another school we should mention is the Yōshinriu. As has been stated above, there are two different accounts of the origin of this school. But upon examining the manuscripts and the methods of those two schools, one of which traces the originator to Miura Yōshin and the other to Akiyama Shirobei, the close resemblances of the accounts lead to the belief that both have a common origin.

The representatives of Yōshinriu of Muira Yōshin at present is Totsuka Eibi, who is now teaching at Chiba, a place near Tokyo, His father was Totsuka Hikosuke, who died but two years ago. This man was one of the most celebrated masters of the art of the late years. His father Hikoyemon was also very famous in the time he flourished. He studied his art under Egami Kuanriu, who made of profound investigation of the subject and was called the originator of Yōshinriu in later times. This man is said to have died in 1795. Another famous master of this school was Hitotsuyanagi Oribe. The Yōshinriu art which this man studied is one which is said to have come from Akiyama.

S. 200

(5) Next comes Tenjin Shinyōriu. This school was originated by Iso Mataemon, who died but twenty-six years ago. He first studied Yōshinriu under Hitotsuyanagi Oriye and then Shin no Shintō riu (one of the schools of Jiujutsu which has developed out of Yōshin riu) from Homma Jōyemon. He then went to different parts of the country to try his art with other masters, and finally formed a school of his own and named it Tenjin Shinyōriu. His school was at Otamagaike in Tōkyō. His name spread throughout the country and he was considered the greatest master of the time. His son was named Iso Mataichirō. He became the teacher of Jiujutsu in a school founded by one of the Tokugawa Shoguns for different arts of warfare. Among the famous pupils of Mataemon may be mentioned Nishimura, Okada, Yamamoto, Matsunaga and Ichikawa.

We have mentioned different names such as Jiujutsu, Yawara, Taijutsu, Kempō, Hakuda and Kogusoku. They are sometimes distinguished from one another, but very often applied to the art generally. For the present, without entering into detailed explanations of those names, we shall explain in a concise way what is the thing itself which these names come respectively to stand for.

Jiujutsu is the art of fighting without weapons and sometimes with small weapons much practiced by the Samurai, and less generally the common people in the times of the Tokugawas.

There are various ways of gaining victory, such as throwing heavily on the ground; choking up the throat; holding down on the ground or pushing to a wall in such a way that an opponent cannot rise up or move freely; twisting or bending arms, legs or fingers in such a way that an opponent cannot bear the pain, etc.

There are various schools, and some schools practice all these methods and some only a few of them. Besides these, in some of the schools special exercises, called Atemi and Kuatsu, are taught. Atemi is the art of striking or kicking some of the parts of the body in order to kill or injure the opponent. Kuatsu, which means to resuscitate, is an art of resuscitating those who have apparently died through violence.

The most important principle of throwing as practiced was to

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disturb the center of gravity of the opponent, and then pull or push in a way that the opponent cannot stand, exerting skill rather than strength, so that he might lose his equilibrium and fall heavily to the ground. A series of rules was taught respecting the different motions of the feet, legs, arms, hands, the thigh and back, in order to accomplish this object. Choking up the throat was done by the hands, fore-arms, or by twisting the collar of the opponent’s coat round the throat. For holding down and pushing, any part of the body was used. For twisting and bending, the parts employed were generally the arms, hands and fingers, and sometimes the legs.

The Kuatsu or art of resuscitation is considered a secret; generally only the pupils and those who have made some progress in the art receive instruction. It has been customary with those schools where Kuatsu is taught for teachers to receive a certain sum of money for teaching. And the pupils were to be instructed in the art after taking an oath that they never reveal the art to anyone, even to parents and brothers.

The methods of Kuatsu are numerous and differ greatly in the different schools. The simplest is that for resuscitating those who have been temporarily suffocated by choking up the throat. There are various methods for doing this, one of which is to embrace the patient from the back and placing those edges of the palms of both hands which are opposite the thumb to the lower part of the abdomen to push it up towards the operator’s own body with those edges. The other kinds of Kuatsu are such as recovering those who have fallen down from great heights and those who have strangled, those who have been drowned, those who have received severe blows, etc. For these more complicated methods are employed.

Stories Of Famous Jiujutsu Teachers.

About 200 years ago there was a famous teacher of Jiujutsu named Sekiguchi Jūshin, who was the retainer of the lord of Kishiu. One day while they were crossing a bridge in the prince’s courtyard, his lord, in order to test his skill, gradually pushed him nearer to the edge of the bridge until, just as he attempted to overbalance

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him, Sekiguchi slipping round, turned to the other side and caught his lord who, losing his balance in the attempt, was about to fall into the water, and taking hold of the Prince, said, ‘you must take care.’ Upon which the prince felt very much ashamed.

Some time afterward, another of the lord’s retainers blamed Sekiguchi for taking hold of the prince, for, he said, if he had been an enemy, he could have had time to kill you. Then Sekiguchi told him that the same thought had also crossed his own mind, and that when he caught hold of his lord, although it was a very rude thing, he had stuck his kozuka (small knife) through his sleeve and left it there to show that he could have had time to stab him had he been his enemy, instead of his master.

During the year Kwan-yei there was a festival of Hachimangu at Fukui in Echizen. Skilful of various military arts had gathered there from different parts of the country, and Yagiu Tajimanokami, a famous master, was appointed umpire of the sports. As Yagiu was a very famous man, many visitors came to see him, and amongst them there was one friend with whom he began to play at go on the day before that appointed for the sports. They continued their play all day and all night, and when the appointed time came for beginning the sports, Yagui did not appear, being still intent on his game of go.

The prince of Echizen became very angry and threatened to punish Yagiu, and hearing this, one of his retainers set off on horseback to persuade Yagiu to be present in the place. When he reached the place he saw the players still engaged, and artfully proposed to join in the game. After a time, as if by accident, he mixed up the pieces on the board, and then reminded Yagiu of his appointment as umpire. Yagui thereupon mounted the horse which had been brought by the retainer and galloped off to the field.

While engaged as umpire, another famous Jiujutsu teacher came up and offered to fight him. He declined on the grounds that he was there as umpire. Still the man continued to urge him and suddenly tried to pull him down. Yagiu in a moment seized him, turned him over and threw him with great force on the ground, and so ended the attempt to overthrow Yagiu.

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Terada Goemon was another noted man. He lived in Tōkyō some 40 years ago, and one day while passing the Suidobashi near Hongo, he fell in with the procession of the Prince of Mito. The Sakibarai (attendants) of the prince, while making their way for the procession ordered Terada to kneel down, which he refused to do, saying that Samurai of his rank did not require to kneel unless the Prince’s Kago would come nearer. The Sakibarai, however, persisted in their endeavors to force him to kneel, and five or six attempted to throw him down, but he freed himself and threw them all to the ground. Many other retainers then came about him crying, “kill him, kill him,” but he threw them all down and seized their jittei (short iron rods) and ran over to the Prince’s Yashiki saying, I am a Samurai of such and such rank, and it is against the dignity of my prince that I should kneel down; I am very sorry that I had to throw your men down, but I had to do it to preserve my dignity, and here are the jittei which I return to you. The Prince was so much pleased that he asked Terada to enter into his service, but he preferred to remain with his own prince and refused the offer.

Inugami Gunbei was a famous teacher of the Kiu Shin school.

One day he met Onogawa Kisaburo, the most famous wrestler of the time, in a tea-house. They began to drink sake together and Onogawa boasted of his powers to Inugami.

Inugami said, that even a great wrestler with stout muscles and stentorian voice might not be able to defeat this old man, referring to himself.

Then the wrestler became angry and proposed they should go out to the courtyard for a trial.

Onogawa then took hold of Inufami saying, can you escape? Of course, he replied, if you do not hold me more tightly. Then Onogawa embraced him more firmly - and repeated his question, receiving the same answer. He did this three times and when Inugami said, can you do no more, Onogawa, relaxing his grip but a little to take a firmer hold, was in a moment pitched over by Inugami on to the ground. This he did twice. Onogawa was so surprised that he became Inugawa’s pupil.

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Recent Development of Jiujutsu.

There are now over 80 schools in Tōkyō representing the various schools of feudal times, but of these two are specially worthy of notice on account of the methods employed and the large attendance of pupils.

One of these is the school of Mr. J. Kano of the Gakushuin (Nobel’s School).

He first studied under Iso and Fukada of the Tenjin Shinyō school and then studied the principles of the Kitō school under a celebrated teacher named Iikubo.

After having acquired the art in this way, Mr. Kano made investigations into the history of the art, collecting manuscripts from all sources within his reach, comparing the various principles taught, until after much research and labour he elaborated an eclectic system of the art which now bears the name of Jiudo.

In feudal times the old form of Jiujutsu was mainly learned for fighting purposes. In this recent school it is developed into a system of athletics and mental and moral training.

In this school daily instruction is carried on by means of lectures on the theory of Jiudo, by discussion among pupils and by actual practice.

In Jiujutsu as formerly taught, the art of pliancy, as it has been called, the practice of the art was of most importance: in Judo, which is an investigation of the laws by which one may gain by yielding, practice is made subservient to the theory, although when studied as a system of athletics, practice plays a more important role.

Saigo, Yamada, Yamashita and Yokoyama are the most celebrated of the pupils of this school.

In the Police Department of Tokyo all the police are obliged to study this art.

The method of instruction was quite of the old system until a few years ago, when at a meeting of teachers and pupils of the various schools in Tōkyō, the pupils of Mr. Kano so distinguished themselves that the Department resolved to adopt the methods of the art of Mr. Kano’s school, and in 1879 appointed Jiudo teachers from among his pupils, named Yokoyama and Matsuno. In addition to these teachers

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there are also Hisatomi Suzuki, Nakamura, Uyehara and Kanaya, all of whom may be considered as the present representatives of many of the important schools of Jiujutsu now existing in Japan.

In addition to the work of Jiudo as a system of athletics, it is also to be considered, as has been noted, a means of mental and moral training, and to this reference will be made in a future paper.

Ende