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BATTODO
Battodo is a contemporary form of Japanese swordsmanship,
defined in between two world wars. This form of fencing is based
on the traditional styles of swordsmanship (koryu): Iaido and Iaijutsu;
which appeared, mostly, during the Edo period (1603 – 1868). The
main point and the idea in process of creation of contemporary Battodo,
was to apply the sword art as a practical combat technique. It meant
one step ahead, comparing to artificiality and aestheticsism of
various styles of swordsmanship formed during the Edo period. Edo
period had characteristics of peaceful and defined social context,
without war, as a favorable environment for the application and
examination of the efficiency of fencing technique. The logical
result of these circumstances is not the efficiency of the technique
as the objective, but rather spirituality and interpretation of
fighting skills as a method for self improvement.
Zen Buddhism had its great influence on fighting systems during
the Edo period. The meditative side of the skill was put on a first
place and, as the final result of the practice, appeared undisturbed,
concentrated mind of a practicioner. In between two world wars,
for military purposes, at Toyama Military Academy (Rikugun Toyama
Gakko), was developed a system of swordsmanship for close combat
at a modern battlefield. The aim was simplicity and efficiency of
the technique. Apart from practicing the fundamentals and kata,
of great importance was the exercise of test cutting - tameshigiri.
This new fencing style from Toyama Academy was called Gunto no Soho
(after WWII: Toyama Ryu Battojutsu and Toyama Ryu Iaido) After the
Second World War, on Toyama Ryu bases, Taizaburo Nakamura sensei
created his contemporary style of Battodo - Nakamura Ryu Battodo.
This style has kept the entire technical curriculum of Toyama Ryu,
as its basic series of kata. Several new series of kata have been
added, as well. Nakamura Ryu is based on eight main directions of
cutting (Happo Giri), which is the technical innovation of Nakamura
sensei. Nakamura Ryu Battodo, as well as Toyama Ryu, is oriented
towards practical and effective sword technique. Today, the term
Battodo, is related, mainly, to the combative and practically oriented
styles of swordsmanship.
TOYAMA RYU
The creation of Toyama Ryu style of Japanese
swordsmanship is related to Toyama Military Academy, where this
style was established in between two world wars. In 1873, in Toyama
district of Tokyo, was formed Toyama Military Academy (Rikugun Toyama
Gakko). In 1937, Toyama Academy was moved to a place which was about
40 km southwest from Tokyo, near the Zama city. This military school
remained at that location until it was closed, in 1945. Toyama Academy
had six big dojos for Kendo and one for Jukenjutsu (bayonet fencing).
All dojos were 60m long and 12m wide. |
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Jukendo training at Toyama Military Academy |
Lieutenant Morinaga Kiyoshi was the initiator
of the creation of Toyama style of swordsmanship. In 1925, he was
still lieutenant and the director of Kenjutsu Kenkyu Kai (Fencing
Research Committee) at Toyama Academy. The objective of this comitee
was to codify a practical system of use of Japanese sword – katana
at a modern battlefield, which would be studied, as a subject, at
the Military Academy. The idea was to use the most efficient techniques
from classical styles (koryu) of Iaido, Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu. Lieutenant
Morinaga decided to ask for technical help one of the most eminent
teachers of swordsmanship at that time: Nakayama Hakudo. Nakayama
sensei was a famous teacher of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido and
the founder of Muso Shinden Ryu.
The second step in creation of the new military fencing system was
the analysis of the expert reports on great fencing battles in the
recent history of Japan. The conclusion based on the analysis of
casualties and wounded, during the rebellion in Satsuma, in 1877,
was that the most common efficiently performed cut was kesa giri
– a downward diagonal cut. The cause of almost all fatal injuries,
was exactly that technique. The logical conclusion was that the
technical base of the new military fencing style should be kesa
giri. |
The result of work of Kenjutsu Kenkyu Kai
and Nakayama sensei, was a new style, established in 1925, initially
called Gunto no Soho. It was consisted of five kata and of tameshigiri
(test cutting technique). For the purpose of test cutting practice,
were used the targets made of rice straw - makiwara or tameshiwara.
These rice straw rolls were put into water to sank for a certain
period of time, in order to be solid and moist like the parts of
human body.
In 1939, Gunto no Soho system was redefined. The most important
reason for this reformation was insufficient fencing skill, demonstrated
during a Japanese military intervention in China and Manchuria.
The initiator of this redefinition of the basic form was, once again,
Morinaga Kyoshi (colonel at that time). Certain technical details
of the old fifth kata were changed and the sixth and seventh kata
were added.
After 1945, appeared three lineages of interpretation of original
Toyama Ryu: Nakamura-ha, Morinaga-ha and Yamaguchi-ha. Nakamura
Taizaburo sensei is the founder of Nakamura-ha. He added to the
series the eighth kata (Itto Ryodan) and introduced some technical
changes in other kata of the pre-WWII Toyama Ryu. In 1977, he founded
Zen Nippon Toyama Ryu Iaido Renmei. After the war, he also established
International Battodo Federation, which, for its main objective,
has the development of Nakamura Ryu. The founder of Morinaga-ha
is colonel Morinaga Kyoshi. He founded Dai Nippon Toyama Ryu Iaido
Shinkokai . His most important follower is Tokutomi Tasaburo sensei. |
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Zan Geki Rikugun Toyama Gakko Ni Te -
Combat Cutting
at Toyama Military Academy |
Yamaguchi-ha was founded by Yamaguchi Yukii
– officer and instructor at Toyama academy.
It is essential to mention that the entire technical curriculum
of the Toyama Ryu was incorporated to a style, which was founded
by Nakamura Taizaburo sensei –Nakamura Ryu Battodo, and represents
its technical base.
NAKAMURA RYU
Nakamura Ryu Battodo or Nakamura Ryu Happogiri
Toho is a style of Japanese swordsmanship founded by Nakamura Taizaburo
sensei in 1953.
This style was based on Nakamura sensei’s experience from martial
arts in which he was a master before the WWII (Judo, Kendo, Iaido,
Kyudo, Jukendo, and Tankendo), as well as on his experience from
some military close combat fighting systems. Nakamura Ryu is, mainly,
based on Toyama Ryu swordsmanship system. Toyama Ryu has been included
in Nakamura style, as the first of four series of kata which, together
with the basic technique (kihon), form the technical curriculum
of Nakamura Ryu.
In order of better understanding of the great historical value and
importance of Nakamura Taizaburo sensei, it is necessary to give
the summary of his biography:
1912. Nakamura Taizaburo sensei was born at Futsuka town, Kamiyama
city in Yamagata Prefecture, as the fourth son of Nakamura Shigoro.
1932. Promoted to 3rd dan in Kendo and 3rd dan in Judo. Same year,
he joined the army and became the instructor to first-year recruits
and noncomissioned officers. His regiment was sent to Manchuria
in May, in response to the “Manchurian incident”. As a member of
Kawahara Volunteer Corps, he participated in operations and was
wounded in his left side by machine-gun fire. |
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Nakamura Taizaburo sensei |
1937. Promoted to 5th dan, Renshi in Kendo
and 4th dan in Jukendo.
1939. He graduated at Toyama Military Academy and received the special
military designation of “Special Fencing Instructor”.
1941. Assigned to the 7232 Battalion, located in Heiron Chan Shou
Provence, in Manchuria. He served in the Border Patrol along the
border with Soviet Union.
1943. Instructed Jissen Budo (close combat fighting system of sword,
knife, and bayonet) to the elite 2nd Yamashita Corps, Special Attack
Force South (Yamashita-heidan Nanpo Kirikomitai). At that time,
Nakamura sensei had a title: Taito Honbu-sha - person officially
authorized to wear a long sword.
1945. His Yamagata Batallion becomes champion of Divisional Kenjutsu
Competition for three consecutive times. Nakamura sensei was its
instructor and coach.
At that time, he began to define his style: Nakamura Ryu.
1948. In Tsurumi, Yokohama, he opened his Shiseikan Dojo. Nakayama
Hakudo sensei and many other great teachers of budo attended the
opening.
1950. Nakamura sensei was the initiator and major supporter of reconstruction
of Hayashizaki Iai Shrine, which was ruined during the war. This
shrine deifies Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu, the founder of Iaido.
The reconstruction of this temple was completed in 1961. |
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Nakamura Taizaburo sensei |
1953. He received the Kyoshi license from
Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei.
1961. Promoted to 7th dan in Kendo ZNKR
1962. 8th dan in Iaido
1966. Received the Hanshi license in Iaido.
1973. Jukendo, Hanshi
His books “Iaido” and “Iai-Kendo” were published.
1974. Iaido 9th dan
1975. Nakamura sensei renamed Gunto No Soho into Toyama Ryu Battojutsu.
1977. He organized Zen Nippon Toyama Ryu Battojutsu Renmei and founded
Zen Nippon Battodo Renmei.
1979. Battojutsu hanshi 9th dan
Zen Nippon Toyama Ryu Battojutsu Renmei changed its name into Zen
Nippon Toyama Ryu Iaido Renmei.
1980. Received his 9th dan from Kokusai Budoin and Shihan title
for Battodo.
He founded Zen Nippon Battodo Renmei , and served as its first chairman.
Published “Nihon-to tameshigiri no shinzui”.
1986. Published “Battodo”.
1993. Published “Katsujin-ken Battodo”.
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1999. Nakamura Taizaburo sensei performing
tameshigiri
(photo: The Hiden Budo & Bujutsu magazine) |
2001. Published “Nippon-to seishin to Battodo”.
He declares: “This is my last book!”.
2003. Nakamura sensei died on 13th May at the age of 92. He was
intered at Sojiji Temple in Tsurumi, Yokohama.
Nakamura sensei had the following titles:
Toyama Ryu Iaido: Senior Master
Nakamura Ryu Battodo: Shodai Soke
Battodo: Hanshi, 10th dan (Kokusai Budoin)
Jukendo: Hanshi, 8th dan (Zen Nippon Jukendo Renmei)
Tankendo: Hanshi, 8th dan (Zen Nippon Jukendo Renmei)
Kendo: Hanshi, 8th dan (Kokusai Budoin)
Kyoshi, 7th dan (Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei)
Kyudo: 4th dan
Judo: 3rd dan
Shodo (calligraphy): Hanshi
The innovation which Nakamura sensei introduced
into Japanese fencing and which represents the fundamental concept
of his style – Nakamura Ryu, is a concept of Eiji Happo. Eiji Happo
means: “principle of 8 strokes of a brush from the character Ei”.
Writing “Ei” (eternity, eternal) ideograph includes all eight directions
of a brush. Nakamura sensei, who was a master of Japanese calligraphy
(Shodo), applied this principle to the sword technique and codified
the eight basic cuts – Happo Giri. Happo Giri concept became the
technical essence of Nakamura Ryu Battodo.
The other important concept of Nakamura Ryu is the antagonism between
the Satsujin-ken and Katsujin-ken. Satsujin-ken can be translated
as “ murdering sword” and is related to the unperfect and, even,
vulgar, interpretation of swordsmanship. Satsujin-ken implies sword
technique as a mere tool for confrontation, and, eo ipso, destruction.
On the other hand, Katsujin-ken – “the life-giving sword”, which
is supposed to be the aim and paradigm of correct sword practice,
represents an interpretation of fencing as a tool for self-perfection.
Katsujin-ken is a method of achievement of a higher quality of being.
The swordsmanship, in this case, becomes the synonim for shaping
up the self through the sword technique.
Methodology of Nakamura Ryu is (together with its four series of
kata) based on tameshigiri (test cutting technique). Tameshigiri
is performed on makiwara or tameshiwara (targets made from rice
straw, that are put in water in order to be solid and moist like
a human body). Since 1970-ies, tatami - omote (the outer layer of
tatami – floor mats), is used as the material for makiwara. On certain
occasions, japanese or chinese bamboo is also used as tameshigiri
target. Nakamura sensei insisted on test cutting, because it is
almost impossible to achieve an authentic fencing experience if
this important element of training is missing. It would be similar
to rifle shooting without bullets and a target. His criticism vis-a-vis
traditional Iaido, as well as modern Kendo, was related to this
serious fault in process of practice in these two forms of Japanese
swordsmanship.
*part of Toyama Ryu history and Nakamura Taizaburo
sensei's biography have been taken from the articles of Mr. Guy
Power, and are used with his permission. Some of the photographs
have been taken from Kenshinkan
Dojo - International Battodo Federation web site.
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