Kito Ryu - Kitouryu

A school of early modern jujutsu. The founder of the school was Ibaraki Matazaemon Toshifusa, who was also known by the names Sensai or Sozen. Toshifusa was from Ibaraki in Settsu (Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture), and first studied the Ryoishinto style of martial arts under Fukuno Shichiroemon, then the Shinkage style under Yagyu Munenori and Mitsuyoshi, father and son. He also studied Zen under the monk Takuan, and in September 1637 (Kan'ei 14), he devised a form for combat and established the following movements: Tai, Taisha, Uke, Sayū, Zenma, and Zenshin. He made up the school of Buddhism by combining the five outer movements of Zengo, the five inner movements of Yukitsure, Yukigai, Yukiatari, Mikudaki, and Taniotoshi, as well as fifteen external movements, and named it Kito-ryu-Midare by his master. In addition to the Mokuroku and Tokushin Mokuroku, he also established the Gogyo Haibunsho (Book of the Distribution of the Five Elements) (also known as Ri-ki-ni-ranron) which he had been given by his master as his fundamental text. Among the disciples of Sensai who are believed to have died young, the few known names include the father and son Nabeshima Kiinokami Motoshige and Hidanokami Tadayoshi, lords of the Ogi Domain in Hizen, who were fellow disciples of Yagyu, Hirata Yoichiemon of the Marugame Domain in Sanshu, and Otsuka Katsuemon of the Saga Domain. The direct line was passed down from Sensai's third son, San'an Shoken, to the third head, Yamada Kan'an Muneto, but it seems that he did not do very well after that.

In response to this, Terada Kan'emon Masashige, who served the Matsue Domain, learned Kito-ryu Random from his uncle Yazaemon Yorishige in Kyoto, and reorganized the Torigata with his own invented principle of no beat, making the Omote Juuichiyon Kata and Ura Nanana Kata, which he called "Kito-ryu Heiho Yoroi Kumuchi." In response to this, Yoshimura Hyosuke Sukenaga of the Sakushu Tsuyama Domain added three volumes, Ten, Chi, and Jin, to the two volumes of Seikyo, the main body of Masashige, in 1671 (Kanbun 11), establishing a teaching system and laying the foundation for later development. Furthermore, after his master's family was destroyed, Hirano Hanpei Yoritake (1656-1724), who served the Ako Domain in Banshu, moved to Osaka to open a dojo, changed his name to Hotta Sagoemon Yoritsune, and worked to spread the style under the name "Kito-ryu Judo Shuumyojutsu." Hotta's disciples included the father and son Terada Ichiemon Shojo and Shoei in Kyoto, and Takino Yuken Sadataka (1695-1762), who moved to Edo in 1744 (Enkyo 1), and made the school very famous. It is said that he had over 5,700 students.

From this Takino school emerged Suzuki Seibei Kunitaka, a Shogunate vassal, who also preached the way of Jinmu, winning the support of the senior councilor Matsudaira Sadanobu and other feudal lords and warriors, and is said to have had 3,000 disciples. From the school of Takenaka Tetsunosuke, also from the Takino school, emerged Iikubo Tsunetoshi, who studied under Kano Jigoro, the founder of Kodokan Judo. Kito-ryu placed emphasis on throwing techniques over striking techniques, and "dealt solely with ki without regard for kata," in other words, placed emphasis on training the mind. It was not without reason that Kano decided to preserve the 21 front and back forms of Kito-ryu as "ancient kata" when he founded the Kodokan.

[Ichiro Watanabe]

"Shinichi Oimatsu, "About Kito-ryu Jujutsu" (Juntendo University Faculty of Physical Education Bulletin No. 6, 1963) " "Ichiro Watanabe, "Masterpieces of Martial Arts" (1979, Tokyo Copy Publishing) " "The Japanese Martial Arts Series, Volume 6" (1982, Dohosha Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近世柔術の一流派。流祖は茨木又左衛門俊房(いばらきまたざえもんとしふさ)、専斎(せんさい)または宗然(そうぜん)と号した。俊房は摂津の茨木（大阪府茨木市）の人で、初め福野七郎右衛門について良移心当(りょういしんとう)流和(やわら)を、ついで柳生宗矩(やぎゅうむねのり)・三厳(みつよし)父子に新陰(しんかげ)流を学び、また僧沢庵(たくあん)に師事して禅理を修め、1637年（寛永14）9月、組討(くみうち)の取形をくふうして、躰(たい)・躰車(たいしゃ)・請(うけ)・左右(さゆう)・前後(ぜんご)の表五つと、行連(ゆきつれ)・行違(ゆきたがい)・行当(ゆきあたり)・身砕(みくだき)・谷辷(たにおとし)の奥五つ、それに外物(とのもの)十五の所作(しょさ)をもって一流をたて、老師の命名によって、起倒流乱（みだれ）と称し、目録、得心(とくしん)目録に加えて、老師から授与された『五行配分書(ごぎょうはいぶんしょ)』（別名、『理気差別論』）を根本伝書とした。早世したとみられる専斎の門人としては、柳生同門の肥前小城(おぎ)藩主鍋島紀伊守(なべしまきいのかみ)元茂(もとしげ)・同飛騨守(ひだのかみ)直能(ただよし)父子や讃州(さんしゅう)丸亀(まるがめ)藩の平田与一右衛門、佐賀藩の大塚勝右衛門らの名がわずかに知られている。直系は専斎の三男三安昌軒から3代山田看安宗俊へと伝えられたが、その後はあまり振るわなかったらしい。

　これに対して松江藩に仕えた寺田勘右衛門正重は、京都の叔父八左衛門頼重に起倒流乱を学び、自らくふうした無拍子の理をもって取形を改編して表十四形、裏七形とし、「起倒流兵法鎧(よろい)組討」と称した。これを受けて作州津山藩の吉村兵助扶寿(すけなが)は1671年（寛文11）正重の本体、性鏡の2巻に、天・地・人の3巻を加えて教習体系を確立し、後日発展の基礎をつくった。さらに兵助の門人で、播州(ばんしゅう)赤穂(あこう)藩に仕えた平野半平頼建(はんぺいよりたけ)（1656―1724）が、主家断絶後、大坂に出て道場を開き、堀田佐五右衛門頼庸(よりつね)と改名し、「起倒流柔道雌雄妙術(じゅうどうしゆうみょうじゅつ)」と称して弘布(こうふ)に努めた。この堀田の門から、京都の寺田市右衛門正浄・正栄父子、1744年（延享1）江戸に進出した滝野遊軒貞高(ゆうけんさだたか)（1695―1762）らが出て、大いに流名をあげた。彼の門人は5700余人に上ったという。

　この滝野の門から幕臣鈴木清兵衛邦教(せいべえくにたか)が出て、神武(しんぶ)の道をあわせ説き、老中松平定信(さだのぶ)をはじめ諸侯士人の共鳴を得、門弟3000といわれた。同じく滝野門の竹中鉄之助の門流から、講道館柔道の創始者嘉納(かのう)治五郎の師事した飯久保恒年(いいくぼつねとし)が出ている。起倒流は当身技より投げ技を重視し、「専ら形を離れて気を扱う」、すなわち心を練ることに重点を置いた。嘉納が講道館を創始するにあたり、起倒流表裏二十一の形をもって「古式の形」として保存することとしたのも、ゆえなしとしない。

［渡邉一郎］

『老松信一「起倒流柔術について」（『順天堂大学体育学部紀要』6号所収・1963）』▽『渡邉一郎著『武道の名著』（1979・東京コピイ出版）』▽『『日本武道大系　第6巻』（1982・同朋舎出版）』

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